Price of Freedom
by missbrielle
Summary: Kristoff has been wrongfully imprisoned, and has now spent half a year in the dungeon of the Southern Isles. Prince Hans of the Southern Isles makes him a deal: kill the princess of Arendelle in return for his freedom. Will Kristoff abandon morality for freedom? Frozen AU (Alternate Universe): Takes place before Elsa's coronation. [Elsa x Kristoff]
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome! **

**This story was inspired by some artwork I saw while roaming around Tumblr of an alternate universe Anna and Elsa where Anna was an assassin/spy. I changed it a bit by making Kristoff the assassin. But anyways, I owe the artist a lot for inspiring me with this idea. Hope you enjoy it!**

The guards unlocked the door to let the prince in. Kristoff looked up from his corner, squinting in the light. The Prince of the Southern Isles haughtily smirked down at him.

"Leave us alone," he told the guards, without a backwards glance.

He walked forward and bent down on one knee in front of the prisoner. Although he was now on the same level as Kristoff, he still gave off an air of superiority.

"I have a proposition for you." He carefully drew out the words, testing Kristoff's reaction.

"I don't have anything to do with you," Kristoff mumbled.

"Ah, but you did burn down the barn of a royal."

Kristoff flinched, remembering the incident. He had nowhere to stay during the cold, winter night, and had thought to seek refuge in a barn. He had believed he would be able to leave before daylight, he just needed a place to keep himself warm. However, his plan had been foiled when he knocked a lantern over in his sleep, causing the barn to catch fire. He hadn't even had a chance to explain before the guards threw him in prison.

Now it was May, and had been half a year since he had been imprisoned.

"If you do me this favor, I will grant you your freedom." The prince smirked as he said this.

Kristoff slowly turned from the prince and looked down at the floor. After a minute of thinking, he looked the prince straight in the eye.

"What'll I have to do?"

The prince gave him a half grin, and whispered, "Kill the princess of Arendelle."

Kristoff blinked and retorted, "What makes you think I'll kill an innocent girl?"

"I know people will do anything to guarantee their own freedom," the prince replied.

Kristoff sighed, and hung his head in his hands. To kill a girl, a princess even, seemed preposterous. But he had been locked up unfairly for half a year. Why shouldn't he grasp this chance at freedom?

"Fine," he mumbled, "I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there again! I'll be hopefully uploading a chapter everyday. The schedule might be a bit off for a few weeks, what with AP tests and all. This is my first fanfiction, so please excuse some highly probable errors. All feedback is welcomed and appreciated. :)**

**Enjoy!**

The Prince led Kristoff through the hallways of the prison, past rows and rows of cells and rooms. Although many housed poorly looking people, the saddest contained a man in his late forties, a woman around the same age with graying hair, and a young lady with striking blue eyes and hair with a strange red-orange color to it. As Kristoff and the prince walked by, the girl stood up and addressed the prince with a fierce hatred that looked out of place on her face.

"Hans, you will pay for this some day. I swear it."

"Anna," the man spoke, while the woman grasped her hand.

"Keep walking," the prince told Kristoff.

Kristoff couldn't resist another glance back at the girl, who was now being embraced by the older woman.

"Who were they?", he asked the prince.

"Simply prisoners from Arendelle," Hans replied, with an all-knowing grin.

* * *

The Prince had shipped Kristoff off in an hour with new clothes, some money, and a knife. He was to board a trade ship from the Southern Isles to Arendelle, a day's journey, at least. He would then spend a month gathering as much information as he could about the princess and her kingdom before killing her. Hans had allowed him a month to carry this out.

Kristoff felt extremely uneasy about this arrangement, but kept reminding himself of the freedom that he would soon have.

As soon as he got off the ship, he asked for directions to the castle.

"Ah, the castle. Straight up there," a man pointed straight ahead to the castle, separated from the town by a bridge. "However, Princess Elsa has had the gates closed for almost six years."

"Why?", Kristoff asked.

"No one's quite sure, but it's believed that she did it out of mourning after the accident." The man's face grew somber.

"Accident?"

"Her parents and sister were off on a business trip to the Southern Isles, when their ship got lost in a storm. It was only a day's journey, no one believed anything would happen."

Kristoff could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into a pit of guilt. Killing a princess was bad enough, but to kill one who had lost her family at such a young age?

He thanked the man, and walked away. Night was beginning to fall, but he didn't feel like seeking shelter. After spending six months in a dark room, he planned to revel in his freedom. Well, not complete freedom. Yet.

He bought a loaf of bread and some carrots, and decided to explore Arendelle's surrounding forests.

It was almost midnight when he decided to stop and rest under a tree near a cliff. Kristoff leaned back against the tree, and looked up at the night sky, slowly closing his eyes.

A hard prodding in the side woke him up an hour later. Kristoff looked to his left and saw a reindeer slowly eating carrots. **His carrots.**

"Hey, what are you doing?", Kristoff snapped. He tried to grab a carrot from the reindeer's mouth, but stopped when it gave him a look that could only be best described as annoyed.

Kristoff stared back at it for a second, and then relinquished the carrot.

"Fine, keep it."

The reindeer appeared to be give him a smug smile, and continued to eat the carrot.

"You're weird."

_-snort-_

"You can stay for this carrot, but after that, you have to go."

Kristoff sat there, arms folded, and waited until the reindeer was done eating.

"Good, you're done, now go."

The reindeer slumped down next to him.

"I'm serious. **Go.**"

It looked up at him with the reindeer variant of "puppy dog eyes".

"Stop. I'm not going to fall for it."

_-blink-_

"...Fine. You can stay. Might as well, I'm all alone."

The reindeer joyfully opened its mouth and moved closer.

"You're lucky I'm not in a bad mood today."

_"Thank you kind sir, even though I ate your carrots and invaded your personal space," _Kristoff spoke in a goofy voice.

_-snort- _

"Hey, you're lucky I even gave you a voice. I'm crazy, I'm talking to a reindeer...that's really just me. I'm talking to myself. I'm doing it now!"

Kristoff slumped back against the tree.

"I might as well just give you a name too. How about Stinky? Thief? Daniel? Alf? Sven?"

At the last name, the reindeer pricked its ears.

"Fine. Sven it is. Goodnight, Sven."

Kristoff placed a hand on Sven's head, and fell asleep.

* * *

**There you go! **

**Chapter 2 is finished. :)**

**While typing this up, I was listening to "When Will My Life Begin?". Whenever I have to type up homework or whatever, I end up listening to that, and "Almost There" on repeat. Am I the only one who does that? I also make it a habit to sing "Part of Your World" in the shower. I'm so weird.**

**Originally, I had planned for Sven to be caught by Hans' guards too, but then released. Then Kristoff would have found him wandering the woods, waiting for him, like Hachi or something. That movie was so sad. My sister would literally watch that every week for about a month, despite the fact that she ended up in tears. I changed the story to this version because I honestly didn't think Hans would let Kristoff go back for his reindeer, or even let Sven go in the first place. **

**Well, that's all for today! I feel like watching Tangled now, for like the 68927493th time (not really, haha). :p **

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again!**

**See if you can spot the little shoutout to Tangled. :)**

* * *

In the morning, Kristoff ventured into the town to look for a job.

"I'm gonna need to earn some money to buy us carrots... I'm doing it again. Am I so desperate for contact that I'll resort to talking to a reindeer? Don't answer that."

_-snort-_

"Thanks."

As Kristoff and Sven entered the town, they noticed a commotion near the docks.

"Come on Sven, market's this way."

Sven let out a low groan and pointed his head towards the docks.

"Nope."

Sven snorted and stalked over to Kristoff.

"Hey, what..."

Kristoff was now being picked up by Sven's antlers, and was being carried towards the docks.

"Fine, fine, OKAY!"

Sven grunted satisfactorily and plunked Kristoff down onto the wooden planks.

As they got closer, they could see mounds of flowers being placed on the edge of the dock, some even placed gently in the water.

As Kristoff and Sven stared open-mouthedly, a young girl reached for a flower, stopping only when an older girl grabbed her hand.

"Kirsten, don't touch them. They're for the king and the queen, and the princess' sister."

The younger girl gazed wide-eyed at the flowers, silent and unmoving.

"Princess Elsa might not like it if we touch flowers for her family. Papa," turning to a bearded man, "will she ever leave the castle?"

"I doubt it, Ingrid. She's stayed in there for six years. It would take a miracle to get her to come out."

Kristoff turned to look at the castle. A flash of while disappeared behind the curtains of an upper window, so quickly he believed he had only imagined it.

"Come on Sven," he murmured quietly.

* * *

As night quickly approached, all of the townspeople clamored near the docks.

"Alf, bring the fireworks!"

"Oh no. Come on Sven, we can watch them from the cliff."

_-groan-_

"Let's go."

_-huff-_

Twenty minutes later, Kristoff and Sven neared the cliff's edge.

-pop pop pop-

"Wow. See, I told you it would be better here."

Sven bumped Kristoff in the side with his antlers.

"Ow, what's your problem?"

Sven gave him the reindeer version of a smirk, and stared transfixedly through the leaves of the trees as the fireworks above.

As Kristoff moved forward, he noticed a sliver of white behind the trees. He slowly pushed past the branches and looked out towards the cliff's edge.

A girl stood near the edge of the cliff, white nightgown swaying in the summer night's breeze. What shocked him the most was her hair. Although it seemed to be platinum blonde, the gentle light of the moon created the illusion that it was ethereally white.

She stood with her back facing Kristoff, head tilted towards the sky, evidently also watching the fireworks.

Kristoff stared open-mouthedly at the girl, until Sven walked forward, accidentally snapping a twig in half.

The girl quickly turned back, looking Kristoff in the eye. He noticed that while no tears were visible on her face, her blue eyes contained tinges of red on the whites of her eyes, and tear stains marred her cheeks.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I'll go...I...umm..."

As Kristoff turned to leave, the girl reached her left hand out to him.

"No, please, I...I mean...you don't have to go."

Her face had instantly turned scarlet, and she slowly pulled her hand back.

"Are...you sure? I mean...I can go..."

"No, it's fine."

She gave him a tine close-lipped grin, and swiped at her face, trying to remove any traces of tears.

Kristoff hesitated until the girl turned back around and settled gracefully onto the floor.

"Stay back," he whispered to Sven, as he slowly joined her near the edge.

He snuck a glance at her, and saw that she bit her lip, as if trying not to cry, while she stared unblinkingly at the sky.

"Are...you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," she repeated, as if to assure herself.

"I'm Kristoff."

"Elsa."

"As in the princess, that Elsa?" he asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Yes," she answered, with a slight smile.

"Your highness, I'm sorry, I really should go now."

"No please, I'm perfectly capable of sharing." She turned to look at him, this time the smile meeting her eyes.

The two sat in silence, staring at the sky for a while, until Kristoff spoke up.

"I'm sorry about your family," he mumbled.

Elsa closed her eyes and seems to shrink in on herself.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," he blurted, and looked down.

"No, it's fine. And thank you, really." She turned to him and didn't say a word until he looked up at her.

"It's been six years. You'd think this wouldn't hurt as much now but..."

Elsa's eyes teared up, but she forced herself to keep going.

"Do you know the story of my family, Kristoff?"

He cautiously shook his head.

Taking in a deep breath, she began her story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! Thanks for commenting. :)**

**SavvyMagic: ****1) Yeah, I need to take more time proofreading. o_o **

**2) I've always said pricked, but it might just be a regional thing? Or I might saying it wrong, I've been known to do that unconsciously. :p**

**3) Really? Thank you so much, I thought it was a lot of commas. I think I'm just used to putting commas in quotes since my english teacher was all "You put the commas here!" :p But thank you, I really appreciate the help. :D**

**The fireworks could be a Tangled reference too, but I meant for it to be the flowers for the royal family. In Tangled, a girl is seen leaving flowers near a sort of terra-cotta piece of artwork of the royal family for "the lost princess". But the fireworks work too! :)**

**I love that, oh my god. "They were being kept in hell!" :p Yeah, I really need to proofread. o_o**

**martianfairy ****and ****creater1496: ****Thank you! I write my chapters down before typing them, but my writing is so big that it tends to look shorter when I type it up. :p **

**Once again, thank you. :D I think the moral of this was that i need to learn to proofread. How did I put while and not white?**

* * *

**"**When I was fifteen and my sister was twelve, we were inseparable. She brought out a side of me I didn't even know I had. She was the energetic, social butterfly, while I was the shy and quiet older sister. But we balanced each other out, and loved the other for the qualities the other contained that we wish we had."

"One day, my mother and father informed us that they would be going on a trip to the Southern Isles for trade negotiations. Anna and I begged to be able to go with them."

At the sound of her sister's name, Kristoff found himself remembering the girl in the dungeon with the same name. It had to be a coincidence.

"After days of relentless asking, they finally decided that we were old enough to go with them. My mother and I were interested in the landscape, my father in the horses, and Anna...well, everything." Elsa let out a soft laugh.

The day before we were set to leave, I came down with a fever. Although my family assured me that they would stay with me, I told them to go. Anna stayed with me until the very second it was time to go."

"I walked them out to the docks where the ship was waiting. My father and mother hugged me goodbye, and told me that they would be back soon. Anna almost crushed me in her hug, and started to cry. We had never been apart for more than a couple of hours. I held onto her for as long as I could, and then made her promise not to run into too many people."

"As the ship sailed away, my mother and father smiled lovingly at me, while Anna nearly fell over the side while waving goodbye."

"It was only supposed to take them a day to get there, and they were only going to stay for two weeks. Those two weeks passed by, with no return. Half a week after that, a messenger from the Southern Isles came to Arendelle. He had thought they had delayed their trip, until the ship's wreckage washed ashore. He believed the ship had been lost at sea in a storm."

"I closed the gates, and Mayor Elefsen was elected by the townspeople to take care of Arendelle's affairs until I came of age. I owe him so much for keeping the kingdom in prosperity all these years."

"Every year for six years, the town has set off fireworks on the day my family left Arendelle, in memoriam. I always come here to watch them...alone. And every year, I think about how I never told them...how much I love them."

Elsa started to cry in quiet, gasping sobs. She tucked her knees into her chest and laid her head down on top of them.

After a moment of hesitation, Kristoff grabbed her hand and held it in one of his own.

Elsa's hand twitched, but then relaxed after a second. She looked up, and saw Kristoff's warm eyes staring into her own tear-filled ones.

"They knew you loved them," said Kristoff.

Elsa sniffled, and asked "How do you know?"

"A gut feeling. Plus, I can tell that they really loved you too."

Biting her lip, Elsa squeezed Kristoff's hand gently. "Thank you."

They sat like that until the fireworks ended. After the final blast, Elsa gently pulled her hand from his.

"I should go back. If they find that I'm gone...thank you. Again."

With a shy smile, Elsa turned and started to walk into the forest.

"Wait! Will you be okay?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa turned back to him, her right hand cradling her left.

"I'll be fine. I know these woods like the back of my hand. But thank you. Goodnight, Kristoff."

And with that, she walked lightly into the forest, in the direction of the castle.

"Goodnight, Elsa."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there! **

**I'm really excited to be typing this part of the story. We get to learn more about Elsa through Kristoff's eyes, and even through Elsa herself. :)**

**Steefwaterbutter: Thank you! :) I was a bit hesitant when first publishing this because I wasn't exactly sure where I wanted this story to end up. As for Elsa telling Kristoff her story, I felt like after isolating herself for so long, she would try to grab onto any outside contact she could interact with. Also, I wanted to show how she instantly feels comfortable enough with this lonely stranger to tell him these things. She probably also feels the need to tell someone after six years of keeping it inside. She "let it go"? **:) **Also, I love your username. Care to share how you came up with it? :)**

**Here's Chapter 5!**

* * *

A few days later, Kristoff and Sven were exploring a new region of the forest in the deepening twilight.

"Woah, watch out buddy," Kristoff cautioned to Sven.

The pair had reached a hill, overlooking a river running between the trees.

As Kristoff marveled at the river, Sven whined and turned to his left.

"What is it, Sven?"

Kristoff turned to look, and saw Elsa appear from the trees, walking close to the river.

He was about to call out to her, when he heard her singing.

_"Do you want to build a snowman?" _

He sat down and strained to hear every word.

_"Come on let's go and play. I never see you anymore, I miss you more and more everyday."_

Elsa sat down and leaned against a tree, making graceful motions with her hand. Suddenly, snow started to fall.

"Woah, what..." Kristoff whispered.

_"I wish we were all together, like days before. What am I gonna do?"_

Tears started to slowly fall down her face.

_"Anna, do you wanna build a snowman?" _

With a wave of her hand, so quickly that Kristoff almost believed he had imagined it, a snowman formed in front of her. It wasn't a standard snowman, but oddly shaped. Somehow, this gave it an extra charm.

Elsa stood up and softly touched the snowman on its head as she walked by it, into another region of the forest.

Kristoff and Sven gaped at the snowman.

What had they just witnessed?

* * *

Kristoff couldn't sleep. The snow, the snowman, had it been...her? He hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings, so he hadn't noticed that the snow had been concentrated in one area until after Elsa had left.

But...how?

Kristoff sighed and turned over, leaning against Sven's side. Sleeping in the quiet forest next to a warn reindeer was much more comfortable than sleeping on a dungeon floor.

Speaking of dungeons, that girl...Anna? It just had to be a coincidence that she shared the same name as the princess' sister, right? Anna was a pretty common name...he hoped.

With a shiver, Kristoff closed his eyes, but still couldn't sleep.

How was he going to kill someone he was so drawn to?

* * *

"Anna, you're going to be late. Mama and Papa knew this would happen."

"Elsa, I told you, I'm staying here until I absolutely have to go!" Anna plopped her twelve year old self down dramatically onto Elsa's bed.

Elsa groaned, and rolled her eyes. "Anna, you're squishing me."

"No I'm not, you're just too big for this bed."

"Excuse me, are you implying something?"

"Yepp, all that chocolate's gotten to ya, Elsa." Anna smirked, giggling at her sister's frown.

"Do I need to remind you who almost threw up after eating six pieces of chocolate cake?"

"You mean you, right? Because I am a picture of sophisticated graaaace!"

"Mmhmm, sure." Elsa laughed a laugh so full of happiness, it seemed to bubble out of her.

Anna smiled at her sister's laugh. "Admit it, it was you!" Her fingers started tickling Elsa's sides.

"Anna, stop, that's not fair!" Elsa breathlessly laughed, and weakly tried to fend Anna off.

Anna immediately stopped, a look of shock crossing her face. "Elsa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired."

"Then sleep! Oh, I meant, _-whispered- _then sleep!"

Elsa laughed, "I can't!"

Just then, the King and Queen entered the girls' bedroom.

"Anna, it's time to go. Elsa, sweetheart, are you feeling better?" the Queen asked, resting her hand on Elsa's forehead.

"I'm fine, Mama." Elsa smiled, and closed her eyes at her mother's touch.

The Queen smiled a smile full of gentleness, and moved her hand to Elsa's cheek. Unconsciously, Elsa leaned her face into her mother's hand.

"Anna, your sister needs rest," the King gently chastised. He walked over to Anna and laid a firm, but loving hand on her shoulder.

"She's feeling better. So much better that she argued with me over chocolate cake!" Anna wrapped her arms around her father's waist, holding herself close to him.

The King and Queen both laughed, causing Elsa to open her eyes and to relax in the scene before her.

Suddenly, a horn could be heard blowing from the docks.

"It's time to leave," the King announced.

"I'm coming with you to the docks to see you all off," Elsa exclaimed, as she climbed out of bed.

"Sweetheart, you're sick. We can say our goodbyes here," the Queen reassured her.

"Mama please, I really do feel better."

The King and Queen exchanged a quick glance while Anna bounced up and down, moving her father with every bounce.

"Okay, but you'll take care of yourself and get better while we're gone, do you promise?" her father asked.

"I promise."

* * *

Anna and Elsa walked hand in hand to the docks, Anna dragging Elsa behind her.

"Come on, hurry!" Anna squealed.

At the boat, Elsa gave her parents a lingering hug, knowing that she would go crazy with longing for them.

Both of them hugged her, and kissed her on her forehead.

The Queen held onto her hand until it was time to leave, while the King assured her that she would be fine.

Anna, already teary-eyed, embraced Elsa. Elsa gave her a tight, one-armed hug, as she was still holding onto her mother's hand.

"Elsa, I promise to get you some chocolate."

"Anna, we have chocolate here too."

"Yeah, but it'll be different," she added with a grin.

Elsa gave her a wry smile, and teased, "Don't bump into too many people."

Anna countered by sticking her tongue out, but tears returned instantly.

"See you in two weeks," she whispered, embracing Elsa one last time.

With a final squeeze, the Queen let go of Elsa's hand, and turned to walk with her husband onto the boat. Anna skipped after them, reaching for her mother's hand and clasping it in one of her own.

As the ship set sail, the King and Queen smiled down at Elsa while Anna frantically waved goodbye.

"Elsa! Elsa!"

"What, Anna?"

"Wake up."

* * *

**There you go! This chapter is supposed to make up for the couple of days of non-activity, starting tomorrow. I am absolutely swamped with testing, and I need to get more chapters written so I don't fall behind. :)**

**Tomorrow, if I have time, I'd like to put a list of other fanfics that I recommend to you while I go on a brief hiatus. :) **

**Until next time! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! **

**Sorry for the late update, things have been really hectic lately with testing and the "end of the school year" rush. I'll be changing the updating schedule from daily to once a week, probably Friday until the end of the month. I'm sorry, but I just have so much to prepare for and heaps of homework. I hope you'll all understand. :)**

**The Pianist's Touch:**** Thank you! :)**

**Guest:**** Definitely Kristelsa, or Elsoff. I've heard it both ways. :) But it won't be Kristelsa all the time, because I want to keep the sort of adventurous and dramatic storyline, without completely making it a romance. Have you heard of "Acts of True Love" by hamletlaertes? It's a short, but interesting Kristelsa fanfic. :)**

**Buckerpilot: Thank you! I'll try to update as often as possible, but as it's the last two months of school, I'll be a bit swamped. I will try my best to update every week. **

**SavvyMagic: Hello again! Thank you! I've outlined how the story will go, and trust me, we've still got quite a ways to go. :) As soon as I can, I'll make sure to check it out. :)**

**Once again, thanks for the comments!**

* * *

Elsa woke with a start. After she noticed that she was hyperventilating, she put her left hand on her forehead in an attempt to calm herself down.

As her breathing slowed, she swept sweaty strands of hair away from her face. Once her heartbeat was back to normal, she sat up in bed.

On the right side of the room, opposite from where she sat, Anna's belongings lay untouched, as they had been for six years.

Even looking at her sister's bed sent a wave of despair upon her, and she looked away to her left, out the window.

The dream had first appeared the day Elsa had learned of her family's disappearance, and highly suspected death. It would plague her for weeks at a time, then disappear until she thought it was gone for good. The dream never ceased to frighten her.

Slowly climbing out of bed, she softly touched Anna's bed as she walked past, through her bedroom door.

In the hallway, she slowly walked with the silence of midnight hanging in the air. With her right hand cradling her left hand to her chest, she would have terrified anyone she encountered, due to her extremely tousled hair and wide, empty eyes.

As Elsa reached the west wing of the castle, she could feel a distinct change in temperature. Maybe it was her, unconsciously harnessing her power, or the eeriness emanating from this part of the castle. She had stayed far away from the west wing because it contained the portrait room, Anna's favorite place to play when she wasn't outside, and her parents' bedroom.

She stopped for a second in front of her parents' door, hand on the doorknob, when she stepped back. She wasn't sure if she would be able to walk into that room which still smelt so strongly of her parents without bawling like a baby.

When Elsa finally reached the portrait room, she closed her eyes and quickly opened the doors.

Hesitatingly opening her eyes, she slowly took in the appearance of the room she had last been in with her sister.

* * *

"Elsa, come on! We have to say goodbye to them!"

"Anna, we already said goodbye to Kai and Gerda."

"No, not them, Joan and the rest of them!"

"Anna, they're paintings."

With a gasp, Anna stopped running, almost causing Elsa to crash into her.

"Elsa, shhh! They can hear you! Don't hurt their feelings! Like that one time you told Joan what happens to her? She was devastated." Anna scowled at Elsa and huffed.

Elsa laughed at her sister's expression. One could never take Anna seriously when she looked so comical.

"Now you're laughing at me! Fine, I'll go say goodbye by myself." Anna dramatically stomped away.

"Anna, wait!" Elsa ran after her sister and grabbed her hand. "Okay, I'll apologize to Joan and say goodbye to all of them. Just please don't be mad at me."

Anna's mouth twitched into a smile, and Elsa knew she was forgiven.

"Okay then. Let's go!" And she continued to pull Elsa down the hallway.

When they got to the portrait room, Anna thrust open the doors with more vigor than usual.

"Goodbye everyone! Come on Elsa, Joan first!"

Anna skipped over to where the portrait of Joan of Arc was, while Elsa walked behind. When the two were in front of the painting, Anna cleared her throat.

With quick sideways glance at her sister, Elsa began her apology.

"Joan, I'm sorry I told you that you will be captured and -"

"Elsa!"

"Okay, I'm sorry I told you that. And goodbye. We'll miss you."

With a wide grin, Anna pulled Elsa to each painting to say their goodbyes. After an hour, they reached the last one: a portrait of their family when they were children.

"Anna, do we have to say goodbye to ourselves?" Elsa asked with a grin.

"Yepp. Goodbye to the people we are now. When we come back, we'll be different."

Elsa paused. "Sometimes, you can be very mature."

"Thank you madame," replied Anna with a low bow. However, she had thrown off her balance, causing her to fall forwards onto the floor.

"What?! -" _-thunk-_

Elsa clapped one hand over her mouth as she witnessed her sister literally fall onto her face.

After a moment of silence, Elsa erupted into peals of laughter. Tears streamed down her face as she crouched down in front of Anna.

"Anna, are you _-laughs- _are you okay?" Elsa breathlessly asked.

Anna looked up from her spot on the floor and scrunched up her nose.

"Ow, not the nose again...are you laughing at me?"

"No, I'm not, I swear." Elsa continued to giggle behind her hand, despite knowing what Anna would do.

"Oh yeah?" With a playful grin, she pushed Elsa's shoulder, and watched her usually graceful sister fall onto the floor.

"Anna, you don't understand, how could you fall like that?" Elsa barely managed to get the words out between laughs.

"You act like I've never fallen before." Anna laid down next to her sister, both of them staring up at the ceiling.

After Elsa finally finished laughing, Anna got up and pulled Elsa to her feet.

"Woah, Elsa, your hand is really hot."

"What? It's fine." Elsa pressed her hand to her cheek.

Anna slapped her hand onto Elsa's forehead, resulting in a groan from her sister.

"Elsa, you're burning up! We need to tell Mama and Papa."

"Anna, I'm fine." Elsa started to walk to the door, but slowly teetered to one side.

"That's it, we're going."

With a sigh, Elsa let Anna drag her to their father's study.

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**That's all for this chapter!**

**Thank you for visiting. :)**


	7. Author's Note

**Hello again! **

**Here's the list of fanfics that I highly recommend. (I know, I said I would do this about five days ago? Busy, busy all the time...)**

**1\. Worse Games to Play by Belmione : Post Hunger-Games series, really interesting to see a person's take on Katniss' and Peeta's lives after the Hunger Games. (On hiatus, I think, but there are about 20 chapters.)**

**2\. The Sky Is Awake by simplesnowflake: A fanfic on a sort of alternate universe Arendelle describing the lives of Elsa and Anna as they grew up. :) **

**3\. For The First Time in Forever by csi cameron: A post-Frozen fanfic where Elsa struggles with the secrets of her father's past and her present. (Currently on hiatus, I think, but there's 12 angst-filled chapters. :D)**

**4\. To Thaw A Frozen Heart by Nefelibata Clipse: A Frozen AU with Jack Frost. Jelsa fanfic. :)**

**5\. Like a Sudden Gust by Nardragon: A post-Frozen fanfic where a mysterious man falls into Elsa's life, sweeping her off of her feet. ElsaxOC, and Kristanna. Some sexual content.**

**6\. Unstuck in Time by : I think this is post-Frozen, Anna struggles with involuntary time-traveling. Only three chapters so far, but a very interesting concept. **

**7\. Invisible Frost by Aqua783: Frozen fanfic where the winter spirit Jack Frost has been watching over Elsa for years. One day, she notices him.**

**8\. Childish by RawrRoarRawr: If I had to pick one fanfic to recommend, this would be it. A series of one-shots after Frozen takes place. **

**9\. A Burning Legacy by Caedous: A man on the run comes across Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Post-Frozen, ElsaxOC, Kristanna. Some sexual content.**

**10\. Heart of Ice by Deathly-Hunger-Jackson: A Post-Frozen fanfic where Elsa encounters Jack Frost. However, Jack's history catches up to him, and threatens to ruin the life he has. Post-Frozen, Jelsa, Kristanna. Some sexual content.**

**11\. The Prince of Arendelle by Nardragon: Post-Frozen Kristanna. A series of one-shots detailing the lives of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Anna's son, Erian. Highly recommend this fanfic.**

**12\. Frozen Heart by The Lazy way: Takes place many years after Frozen, history threatens to repeat itself with the Elsa's and Anna's children. ElsaxOC and Kristanna. HIGHLY recommend this fanfic. **

**13\. The Cursed Cycle by Matsuoka Shina: Jack Frost is tormented by a cycle that forces him to encounter Elsa again and again, but always takes her away from him. Based off of a book, I heard. Jelsa. (Hiatus until June/July.)**

**14\. Acts of True Love by hamletlaertes: Takes place before Elsa's coronation. The castle of Arendelle is haunted by Anna's ghost after Elsa accidentally caused her death. Will Elsa manage to get rid of her guilt, and let Anna move on? Kristelsa.**

**15\. A bitter poison by jade254: Post-Frozen, Hans decides to get his revenge on the sisters of Arendelle. But an unexpected complication appears. Helsa (HansxElsa), Kristanna. A darker take on Frozen. Some sexual content.**

**16\. Snowflakes on the Wind by elsa-frozemyheart: A series of one-shots, some a bit darker than others. This author also has another series of one-shots called "Frozen Celebration". Highly recommend these stories.**

**17\. Eternally Yours by Princess of Wands: A sort of Harry Potter AU. Luna Lovegood has been receiving strange love letters from an anonymous person. Harry decides to get to the bottom of this to ensure Luna's safety.**

**18\. No Little Woman by lesmisgirl: A modern take on Louisa May Alcott's beloved story. Very entertaining, highly recommend it.**

* * *

**Comments time! **

Prettyprincess45 and rspringb:Thank you! :)

**Next chapter should be up on Wednesday. :)**

**Thank you for visiting, go show those fanfics some love. :) If anyone has any good fanfics that they'd like to recommend, don't hesitate to share! :D**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello again! **

**Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Elsa shook her head, as if to shake off the memory. Before, the portrait room was full of light and laughter. Now, a sense of emptiness permeated throughout the room. Taking in a deep breath, Elsa slowly made her way around the room.

She stopped at each and every single painting, letting the memories wash over her. When she got to the portrait of Joan of Arc, she gave her a small half-smile.

"Hello again. I always thought Anna was ridiculous for talking to you and the rest of them, but . . . I see why she loved you the best. You were so much like her, full of energy and adventure. Do you miss her too? I'm sorry that I have neglected you all for so long. I'll come back to visit you all, for Anna."

She made it to the last portrait, the one of her family.

"Mama. . . Papa. . ."

She put her hand on the corner of the painting, and looked at the faces of her family through tear-filled eyes.

Elsa suddenly blinked. She knew where she had to go. With one last look at her family, she silently ran out the door, down the hallways, out the gates and towards the burial grounds.

* * *

The sun started to rise as she headed up the hill. Pink streaks of light stretched out to embrace the mountains, with streaks of orange following close behind.

As she got closer to the headstones, her steps slowed. All of a sudden, she heard subtle cracking sounds behind her.

Elsa turned to look behind her, and saw spots of ice on the grass from where she had just stepped.

"Oh no. . ."

Taking in a deep breath, she continued on until she was in front of her family's headstones.

"Papa, Mama, Anna. . . I miss you all. I miss you more and more everyday. I'm scared. How will I be able to take care of Arendelle when I can't even take care of myself?"

A small blizzard started to form around Elsa.

"I try, everyday, to overcome this, but I can't! How could I ever be trusted to rule a kingdom, if I can't even control this. . . this curse!"

Elsa collapsed onto the morning grass, sobbing.

"Princess Elsa!"

Elsa swiftly turned around, her fear apparent on her face.

Kai and two other guards rose up on guards stayed back, awed by the snow, while Kai cautiously continued forward.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Kai gently asked, as he dismounted his horse.

"Kai, no, I'm dangerous. Please, stay away." Elsa slowly backed up.

"Princess, I have known you your whole life. You are not dangerous. I know that, the staff knows that. . . your family knew that. Your father believed in you, believed that your gift was something to be shared. Your family and the staff followed your wishes and agreed to keep your powers a secret, until you were sure that you could control them. But you never meant to hurt anyone. You've never trusted yourself, or your powers. That's why you never told anyone outside of the castle. But we all know that you are capable of overcoming this fear. Your father believed in you the most."

Crouching down next to her, Kai continued. "Princess, we trust you."

Elsa looked up and saw his warmth in his eyes, not so different from the warmth her father's eyes had held. The small blizzard halted to a stop, the snow falling gently to the ground.

Holding out his hand, Kai gave her a reassuring smile.

Elsa took his hand and carefully stood up. "Thank you Kai, for everything." She gave his hand a light squeeze.

"Come, princess, you need your rest."

With one last look at her family's headstones, she mounted a horse and set off, back towards the castle.

* * *

**That's all for this chapter!**

**Thanks for visiting! Next chapter will be up on Saturday. :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello again!**

**I know I said this would be up on Saturday, but I honestly don't think I'll have time tomorrow, so it's going up a day early. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kristoff wandered throughout the town by himself. He had temporarily left Sven with a group of children near the town's center.

He chuckled lightly to himself, remembering the look of shock and despair on Sven's face when the children first saw him.

A light jingling in his pockets caught his attention, and he realized that he would need to find some work, any type of work, in order to continue to be able to buy food for himself and Sven.

All of a sudden, Kristoff felt a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, and quickly turned around to face whoever had approached him.

A man with a faint scar running down the right side of his face looked Kristoff in the eye.

"It seems Prince Hans has heard of your. . . lack of activity here in Arendelle. He strongly suggests that you do what you were sent here to do: get whatever information you can about this place, and the get rid of her, instead of going for walks and leaving pets with children."

Kristoff felt a creeping sensation sneak up his back. Was this hired man. . . spying on him? Prince Hans was more sly than he had thought.

"The Prince has given you some more money, to allow you to buy the best of your resources, while you're staying here. Keep in mind, I was sent here to keep an eye on you. If you even think about trying to wiggle your way out of this, you'll be back in that dungeon for the rest of your life."

The man shoved a small pouch into Kristoff's hands, then turned and walked away.

Kristoff stared at the pouch of money in his hands. Even though the man had left, he could still feel those cold eyes burning into his. His hands shook slightly as he felt himself start to panic.

"How could I have agreed to this?"

* * *

Kristoff woke up with a start. Judging by the moon's position, it was around midnight. Slowly getting up, so as not to disturb Sven, he set off for a walk, to clear his head.

As he walked through the forest with the moonlight peeking through here and there, he tried to reason his upcoming task to himself.

"I barely even know her, it would be like killing a stranger. . . I don't think I could even kill one if I tried."

With a groan of exasperation, he hung his head in his hands.

"Maybe I can try to reason with Prince Hans. Tell him to get that scar-guy to do it, and I'll still gather information. That's not as bad, right? But, she doesn't deserve to die. . ."

Although he wouldn't admit it, a strange feeling inside of him wouldn't let him harm her, a feeling he had never felt before.

At that moment, Kristoff encountered a small circle of densely populated trees. He slowly pushed a branch aside, and stifled a gasp of surprise at what he saw.

* * *

**I know, this chapter was pretty short. ;_; I'll try to make the chapters longer.**

**Next update will be on either Sunday or Tuesday. :)**

**Thanks for visiting!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello again! **

**The weeks of testing are about halfway over, so the schedule should be a bit more consistent in the next week or two. :)**

**Here's Chapter 9!**

* * *

Elsa stood near the middle of a circle of trees, in a high-necked, light blue nightgown, her hair loose and blowing softly in the night air.

Kristoff looked more closely, and saw that she seemed to be waving her hand over various pieces of grass.

There was frost on the grass. She was frosting the grass.

Elsa turned, back facing Kristoff, then raised her arm, causing a tree trunk to delicately freeze over.

"Woah," Kristoff exclaimed as he gazed in awe.

The moment Kristoff realized that he had said this out loud, Elsa reflexively turned and saw him, shock and panic washing over her face.

"Please, I can explain. . ." she stammered.

Kristoff felt extremely embarrassed for having been caught spying on her, and even more for making her feel embarrassed.

"No, I'm sorry, I should have said something," Kristoff blurted out, a hint of panic in his voice.

After a long pause, Elsa cautiously asked, "Aren't you. . . scared? Of me?"

Kristoff furrowed his brow in confusion. "No, why would I be? I saw you do this before, I mean. . ." He blushed as he realized that he had just admitted to spying on her before also.

Elsa took in a sharp breath, the asked, "Why aren't you? Afraid of me, I mean."

"Should I be?"

"Well. . . I just thought that people would think this is abnormal. A curse. A danger, to all of Arendelle. At least, that's what I thought they would think."

"I don't think that this is something to be scared of. Why do you think people would be afraid?" Kristoff asked confusedly.

Elsa looked at him, as if truly seeing him for the first time. She stared him straight in the eye, and opened her mouth as if to answer, then faltered. "I. . . I don't know. I just assumed that since I was always so afraid of losing control. . . it seemed only natural that others should fear me."

"I think most people would be amazed by what you can do."

Elsa blinked, and whispered, "'My father used to say that."

Kristoff slowly walked toward her, so as not to frighten her, until he was five feet away from her.

"Your father was right. Do the people in the castle know? Or the townspeople?"

Softly kneading her hands, Elsa stared at the frosted grass.

"The staff agreed with my father. The townspeople were never told. I had the staff and my family agree to never mention this to anyone."

"Why?"

"What if I lose control? What if I hurt someone?! I used to play around with this. . . power, but I stopped when I was ten. Anna slipped on my ice and sprained her ankle. Although my mother and father repeatedly tried to convince me that it had been an accident, I was horrified at the potential danger my powers contained. I hurt my sister, if I managed to hurt the person I felt the closest to, what was stopping me from hurting everyone else? I decided that I would only use my powers when trying to learn how to control it. I was close to mastering it when. . . they were lost at sea. I locked the castle gates, to keep the town safe. . . from me. I had a sort of. . relapse, and well. . . my emotions still have a strong hold over me."

Elsa gestured to the ice that had formed around her feet, and the snow that had started to fall.

"Elsa, this fear, it's all made up in your mind. Your parents weren't scared of you. Neither was your sister, or the staff. Or me. The only one scared of you. . . is yourself."

Elsa stared, her wide blue eyes held in Kristoff's chocolate brown eyes.

"You don't have to shut people out. Just open yourself up to the world, so they can get a chance to know you, the real you, not this phantom princess that they know nothing about. So many people have already accepted you for who you are. Just let them in."

Elsa eyes darted away from his for a second, lost in thought, then she slowly approached him.

"How? How can you be so sure that they'll accept me?" Elsa shakily whispered.

"They've already accepted you as their ruler. They look to you, they put all of their faith in you. I think they've already accepted you."

Elsa blinked in surprise, and pensively stared off into the distance, past Kristoff's shoulder.

After a minute, her eyes returned to his, a spark of confidence lighting her eyes. Kristoff was entranced.

"Thank you, Kristoff. I barely even know you, and you've done so much for me."

Kristoff blushed, and struggled to look away. "It was nothing."

Elsa smiled, and turned towards the direction of the castle. "I should go. Thank you, again."

"Would you like me to walk you, I mean walk with you, back to the castle?" Kristoff hurriedly mumbled.

With a quiet laugh, Elsa replied, "I would be happy to have you walk with me."

* * *

**OOOOOH! :D This was definitely my favorite chapter to write. . . so far. ;)**

**Have any of you read ****A Long, Long Sleep**** by Anna Sheehan? I couldn't stop thinking about the book while writing this chapter, something about the words that I used reminds me of Rose. Definitely recommend that book. **

**HEY! Okay, remember that scar-face guy who was sent by Hans to spy on Kristoff? Any name suggestions are HAPPILY WELCOMED. Seriously, I don't know ****why**** but I just cannot for the life of me decide on what I want his name to be. I would prefer a Scandinavian name, since this takes place in Norway, but honestly, it could be any type of name. I just want a name that conveys the sneakiness of a man who will do anything for money. If that makes any sense. NAME SUGGESTIONS PLEASE AND THANK YOU. :)**

**I tried to incorporate some "For the First Time in Forever Reprise" and "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" in this chapter, like when Kristoff says "You don't have to shut people out. Just let them in." I got inspiration for that from when Anna sings "Please don't shut me out again," and "Just let me in." I swear, these song titles will be the death of me. :p **

**Well, that's all for today! **

**Name suggestions, please! Feedback is also welcomed, don't be shy. :) **

**Next update will ****probably**** be on Wednesday or Thursday. :)**

**Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello again!**

**As stated last chapter, I am in need of name requests for the character sent by Hans to spy on Kristoff. ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WELCOME. :)**

* * *

"Here we are," Elsa announced. The two had reached the back of the castle.

"How are you going to get back inside?" Kristoff confusedly asked. Was she going to try to climb over the wall?

Elsa turned to face the castle, pulled her arms back, and then thrust them out in front of her, creating a staircase of ice. She turned to Kristoff and grinned, the first real smile he had seen on her that didn't make her appear older than she actually was.

"Wow. Now that's ice."

"Thank you. I never really knew what I was capable of, until now. I feel more free than I have in years. I'm still scared, but. . . I trust what you've said."

Elsa stood up on her toes and lightly kissed Kristoff on the cheek. With a whisper as light as gossamer, she added, "Goodnight, Kristoff."

With one last look into his warm, brown eyes, Elsa turned and gracefully ascended the staircase.

Kristoff gaped as she reached the top of the staircase, and stepped onto the top of the castle wall to look back at him.

With an intense look of concentration on her face, Elsa held her arms out in front of her, and slowly raised them. The ice that had made up the staircase seemed to disintegrate into the cool, night air. With a wave of her hands, the ice had completely disappeared.

"How did you do that?!" Kristoff asked breathlessly.

"I. . . I don't know. I've only ever been able to do it once or twice, when my family was here. Elsa stared at her hands, facing palm-up.

"Goodnight, Elsa."

Elsa looked up and gave him a small wave. "Goodnight." She turned, and created a snowbank to catch her. She jumped off the wall, her long, platinum-blonde hair being the last thing Kristoff saw before she landed safely on the other side.

Kristoff stood, dumbstruck, still reeling from what had just happened.

The ice. . . the kiss. He blushed at the memory. She had said that she'd only been able to unfreeze things when her family had been alive. Did that mean that she. . . felt comfortable with him?

"I'm in love with her." Kristoff stared straight ahead as he suddenly realized this. He hadn't known for sure until this moment. "I can't be in love with her, I barely know her!" Kristoff sighed in frustration, and started to walk back into the forest.

After a minute of walking, he stopped abruptly. "I won't kill her. I'll keep her safe from Prince Hans and that scarred sneak. He didn't mention anything about seeing me in the forest with Elsa; maybe he doesn't know what she can do. But I can't tell her about this. She would never trust me ever again. I'll keep her safe."

With a newfound determination, he continued on through the forest, back to his sleeping place, where Sven hadn't moved an inch. Kristoff leaned against the large reindeer, and let the immense weight of his fatigue wash over him.

As he drifted off to sleep, the last thing he thought of was Elsa's smile, the one that wasn't restrained by fear. He thought of how it illuminated her blue eyes and gave her a beauty that had once been hidden. Until now.

* * *

**Well, that's it for this chapter.**

**Next update will be on Saturday! :)**


	12. Chapter 11

Elsa woke up to the bright light streaming through her window, filling the room. She gracefully stretched her arms out above her head, and lightly got out of bed.

After getting dressed in a dark blue dress and putting her hair up, in her mother's signature hairstyle, she headed out of the room, brushing her hand along Anna's bed as she passed by. A flash of orange caught her eye, and she paused, reaching out for the object with a shaky hand.

On the edge of Anna's bed, there lay two dolls that were made to look like her and Anna. The one resembling Anna had caught her eye, the bright orange yarn that made up her hair contrasting with Anna's pink blankets.

Elsa smoothed the doll's hair behind her ear, the same way Anna would when she was caught in a troubling situation, and couldn't figure a way out. The memory elicited a sad smile from Elsa, and she gently placed the doll down, next to the one that resembled her.

With a last glance at the dolls, she walked out of the room.

* * *

Once she was in the hallway, she headed straight for the castle's west wing. She opened the drapes of the first windows that she saw, letting the light fill the once abandoned hallway.

She continued to open all of the drapes in hallway of the west wing. When she reached the last set, she also opened the window, and breathed in the fresh air.

"For the first time in forever. . ." she murmured into the light breeze of the summer morning.

She walked to her parents' bedroom, and paused for a moment at the door.

"Mama, Papa, I love you."

When she reached the portrait room, she thrust open the large double doors, just as Anna would have done.

She quickly brushed the dust off of the portraits and busts with her hand, then stood silently in one place, breathing in the fresh air that was flowing into the room. The room already felt less stifled, less lonely than it had before.

Elsa walked over to the family portrait.

"Today, is a big day. I love you all, I miss you so much. Papa, I've finally come to believe what you said, with the help of a friend. I just wish I had realized it sooner. I love you."

Elsa lightly kissed her hand, then pressed it to the corner of the portrait.

After a moment of silence, she quietly left the room and headed for the dining hall.

* * *

"Princess Elsa! Is. . . everything okay?"

Kai curiously eyed Elsa as she entered the dining hall. He noticed that her eyes had a vivacity that had been lost for years.

"I'm fine, Kai. Today is the day," she replied with a smile.

"Day? For what, your highness?"

"Today is the day. The gates will be open, and the townspeople will learn the truth. I will not hide behind these walls anymore," Elsa confidently announced.

Kai paused for a moment to take in the news, then gave her a gentle smile. "Your father would have been proud."

Elsa walked forward and embraced him, catching him by surprise. When she pulled away, she gave him a kind smile, one that he had seen before, but on a different face.

"You look so much like your mother," Kai said gently.

Elsa's face turned a rosy pink, embarrassed by the sudden compliment.

"Thank you Kai, for everything. You became the father figure in my life after. . . the incident. I owe you so much."

"You owe me nothing, it is the duty of a servant of the royal family to serve them. That is all that I have done, no more."

Elsa was about to protest, when Kai simply shook his head and escorted her to her seat at the table.

After breakfast, Elsa stood up and walked out onto one of the castle balconies that overlooked Arendelle.

"Kai?" Elsa gently called.

"Yes, princess?"

"Tell the guards to open up. . . the gates!"

* * *

**That's all for today! **

**Next chapter will be on either Monday or Tuesday. :)**

**Thanks for visiting, until next time!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey there! :D**

**Comments time! :)**

rspringb: Hello again! :)

Kairi-Elsa: Hello there! Aw, you're too kind, sweetheart. :,D Thank you for the kind words, I'm just melting of happiness right now. :D

Prettyprincess45: Thank you! I love you, sweetie! :D

* * *

Kristoff and Sven wandered through the town, reveling in the summer sunlight. Kristoff kept looking around, trying to see if Prince Hans' spy was lurking about. Although he couldn't see him, he could feel his eyes watching his every move.

Suddenly, Kristoff heard a large creaking noise. He turned towards the source: Arendelle's castle.

All of the townspeople stared wide-eyed as the castle gates opened, revealing the young princess.

As Elsa walked across the bridge towards the town square, a hush fell over the people. They couldn't believe it: the princess has finally left the castle. But why?

When Elsa reached the town square, she stopped and cleared her throat. She took in the faces of her people, eager and kind. These faces put her at ease, and urged her to stand confidently before them.

Kristoff stood off to the side, just out of Elsa's line of sight. Sven grunted, and nudged him in the side with his antlers.

"I know, it's her," Kristoff whispered to him. He felt a surging sense of happiness and pride in her courage.

Elsa cleared her throat and addressed the crowd. "People of Arendelle, I know that my act of closing the gates has confused all of you. I am deeply sorry that I hid, instead of taking on my role as your princess."

"Today, the gates of the castle have been re-opened. They will stay open forever, to make up for those six years I spent in solitude, running away from my responsibilities."

"The truth is, I haven't been completely honest with all of you. I closed the gates out of fear, not of you. . . but of myself."

Taking in a shaky breath, Elsa forced herself to look into the eyes of the people before her.

"I was born with the power to manipulate and create ice and snow." Elsa made a sweeping hand motion, causing snow to appear from her hand, and to arch high above their heads. She then threw her hands above her head; a ball of energy shot forth from her hands and exploded, causing snowflakes to fall from the sky.

Some of the townspeople gazed wordlessly, others tentatively held out their hands to touch the falling snowflakes. A few children even tried to catch them with their tongues.

"I hid myself away out of fear; I feared that I wouldn't be able to control it. . . that I wouldn't be accepted. But now, I am not as afraid as I was before. I know now that I cannot run away from my fears. I only hope that it is not too late to ask for your forgiveness."

Elsa bit her lip as she struggled to keep her composure. She looked out upon the faces of the silent crowd. When the silence almost seemed to choke the air around her, a middle-aged, bearded man stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, we have all looked to you for a long time. We have never lost faith in you. Even now, that we know why you hid. . . we still trust you. Just as we trusted your father and mother."

The man bowed his head, and then looked up, giving her a reassuringly kind smile.

Elsa could only look at him in shock, before the rest of the people bowed as well, then started cheering and clapping.

"Long live Princess Elsa of Arendelle!" various people cried out.

A small girl with her hair in two pigtails cautiously stepped forward, looking up at Elsa. "Princess Elsa, could you make some more snow, please?"

Elsa's eyes widened as she took in the girl's appearance. Her hair and wide grin reminded her so much of Anna. With a kind smile, Elsa crouched down until she was eye-level with the girl. "It would be my pleasure," she whispered.

Standing up, Elsa threw her arms out, covering the ground with snow, and made various snowbanks.

"Thank you, Princess Elsa!" multiple children shouted. The girl gave Elsa a grateful smile, full of joy, then ran to join the others. The children ran around in the snow, having snowball fights and making snowmen.

A large warmth engulfed Elsa. She finally felt at home after so many years of feeling lost and alone.

Many people came up to her, and expressed how happy they were at her return in mirthful smiles and deep bows.

Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Elsa turned, and saw Kristoff standing there with Sven.

"Hello again. Who is this?" Elsa smiled at Sven, and even laughed when his mouth flopped open, tongue hanging out in glee.

"This is Sven. Congratulations, Princess. See, they all love you." Kristoff gestured to the people reveling in the summertime snow that showed no indication of ever melting.

"I owe it all to you. Thank you." Elsa smiled at Kristoff, causing his stomach to instantly turn somersaults.

"I only told you the truth," he shyly replied, scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment.

"Nonetheless, this was long overdue." Elsa sighed, and contentedly watched two children laugh as they pelted themselves with snowballs, wistfully remembering of a time when she did the same thing.

"You've brought them joy," Kristoff told her.

Elsa shook her head. "I've only made snow. I don't think that this deserves any exceptional praise," she whispered.

"Elsa." She turned to look at him, to really look at him, deep into his eyes. "Your powers really are amazing," he murmured.

A faint blush washed over Elsa's cheeks, and she looked down for a moment, her fingers weaving themselves together. When she looked back up at him, she gave him a grateful smile, taking Kristoff's breath away.

The two stood there, comfortably watching the townspeople play, carefree in the snow.

* * *

**That's all for today! **

**Next chapter will be up on Wednesday. **

**Quick question: does anyone know how to get into World of Color at California Adventure? Do I need a ticket, or is it just first come, first served? :o**

**Until next time! :D**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hello again! **

**I feel like I'm experiencing some writer's block. Writing the chapters was easy in the beginning, but now it's a bit more of a struggle. :\**

**Comments!**

**Periwinkle: Haha, thank you! :D **

**Here's Chapter 13!**

* * *

As night began to fall, people drifted away towards their warm, comforting homes.

"It looks like it is time for me return to the castle. Would you like to join me?" Elsa asked Kristoff.

Kristoff turned to look at her, her bright eyes and red cheeks from playing in the snow bringing a smile to his face.

"Princess, I couldn't. . . but thank you," Kristoff gratefully replied.

"Elsa. Please, no formalities, I'm just a girl." Elsa gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"You're not just a girl, you're. . .well, kind and beautiful, and. . ." Kristoff froze as he realized what he had just said.

Elsa rapidly blinked, and then looked down at the ground, wringing her hands in confusion and embarrassment.

"_Great, now I've made things awkward between us. I mean, not that there ever was an us, but. . ._" Kristoff thought, as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head with his hand and looked down at his feet.

"So. . . shall we go inside?"

Kristoff looked up to see Elsa addressing him, her eyes on his face, but not quite looking directly at his eyes.

"Princess, I mean. . . Elsa, I couldn't. Thank you, but I wouldn't want to be any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all, Kristoff. Sven is also allowed to come. Sven!" Elsa gave a small beckoning motion to him, and watched as he galloped over to her, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"He likes you already." Kristoff grinned as Elsa rubbed Sven behind his ears.

"I'm honored." Elsa gave Sven a kind smile, then turned towards the castle. "Let's go."

"Thank you, Elsa."

"It gets a little lonely with all of those empty rooms, just watching the years pass by. It's no trouble at all." Elsa turned around and briefly touched Kristoff's shoulder, in an attempt to ease his insecurity, then started walking towards the castle, Kristoff and Sven following close behind.

When they entered the dining room, Kai turned from where he stood helping a young, fair-haired maid set the table. Both paused to bow to Elsa as she came in.

"Your Majesty. Who are they?" Kai puzzledly looked from Kristoff's to Sven's face. "Is that a. . . reindeer?"

"This is Kristoff, and Sven." Elsa gestured to the two. "They will be joining us tonight."

"Of course, your majesty." Kai left for the kitchen to gather another plate and set of cutlery. He suddenly re-entered the room, and asked, "Your highness, will the reindeer also eat here?"

"Yes." Elsa smiled to herself. "_A reindeer as a dinner guest. Well, there is always time for firsts_."

"What will it eat?"

Elsa opened her mouth as if to respond, then turned to Kristoff for the answer.

"Carrots. Carrots will be fine," Kristoff shyly explained.

With a nod, Kai turned and walked away.

"Will you need anything else, Your Highness?" the maid quietly inquired.

"No, but thank you, Hilda." Elsa gave her a grateful smile.

The girl gave a start at being addressed by her first name, as if she didn't expect the princess to know who she was. With a small curtsy, she turned and left the room.

As Elsa walked to her seat at the head of the table, Kristoff rushed forward to pull her chair out for her.

"Thank you," Elsa quietly spoke.

Kristoff took a seat to the left of her, Sven plopping down onto the floor next to him.

After a long moment of silence, Kristoff spoke up. "I didn't mean to make things awkward, back there. I just wanted you to know how special you are, I mean. . ." Kristoff turned bright red as he realized that it was highly probable that he had made things worse than before. He loved his hands around nervously, hands clasped together.

"Kristoff." Elsa reached her hand out to place it on top of both of his. "I know. Thank you. I was just. . . surprised. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. Really, I understand."

The two sat there, hands touching, Sven staring open-mouthedly, both unaware of their surroundings as they gazed into each other's eyes, both of them lost in thought.

Suddenly, the servants came in with their food, and Sven's carrots.

Elsa quickly pulled her hand away, a light blush creeping up her face as she turned to thank the servants.

Kristoff sat silently, reminiscing in what had just transpired. He brought his hands under the table, his left hand cradling the other, reveling in the touch of Elsa's hand. "Does she. . . feel it too?" he wondered.

* * *

**Well, that's it for this update!**

**Next chapter will be up on Friday. :)**

**Keep it up with the commenting, I love talking to you guys. :D**

**Until next time!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey there lovelies!**

**Guest:**** Thank ****you**** for existing, sweetie! I'm glad that this small story makes you happy; honestly, that's all I wanted to achieve with this story. :D**

***** Heads up, I do NOT own the rights of the song that will make an appearance below. All rights belong to Disney, bless their souls. *****

* * *

The man ran a finger along the right side of his face, tracing his scar, while lost in thought. "So, the Prince's errand boy has decided to turn his back on him, for a girl. That girl. . . no wonder she kept herself locked up. Prince Hans will be interested in this piece of information. Maybe he'll give me a handsome amount of money. . ."

The man smiled a wry, malicious smile. He watched as Elsa and Kristoff walked into the castle as night approached, Sven trailing close behind. He scoffed, amazed that a man who had been sent to kill the princess had not only befriended her, but had also managed to acquire an annoying pet to follow him around.

"Prince Hans should've picked me for this task; why would he pick some soft-heartedboy who quivers in his boots? With this information about the princess, I'll show that Prince that I am capable of carrying out any deed. He'll reward me with riches, maybe even land, or a title! I did get him the poison for his father. . ."

With a determined smirk on his face, the man headed down the hill with intentions of returning immediately to the Southern Isles.

* * *

"No!"

Elsa woke with a start, nearly falling out of her bed. She had suffered through another nightmare, although it was different from the one that she usually had.

In her nightmare, she had been standing in the town square, where she had been almost half a day ago, watching the townspeople play in the snow. All of a sudden, she had seen a flash of white come flying towards her out of the corner of her eye. She raised her hand to her face in an attempt to shield herself from the oncoming snowball. When no snow made contact with her hand, she slowly lowered her hand. With a cry of shock, she realized that she had frozen the whole town. The faces of the townspeople were full of fear and anguish. Elsa had slowly backed up, taking in quick, short breaths, when she bumped into something behind her. She had turned around, only to find that Kristoff stood behind her, arm outstretched, frozen in a cry for help.

Elsa got out of bed and started to pace around in circles. After minute of this, she stopped where she stood, her sweat-drenched nightgown keeping her from thinking clearly.

With a shaky hand, Elsa brought it up to her shoulder in one swift motion, causing the hem of her skirt to freeze over, the frost then trailing up her nightgown. In a few seconds, she had replaced her heavy nightgown with a light one made of opaque ice. Elsa stood there, eyes closed, reveling in the cooling sensation on her skin. She opened her eyes and went to the window in hopes that the peaceful surroundings would help her to fall back asleep.

When she reached the window, she noticed a figure walking through the gardens in a grove of birch trees, her favorite place on the palace grounds. She looked more closely, and recognized Kristoff's blond hair. She rushed to the door, in hopes of catching up to him, but stopped suddenly, her hand on the doorknob.

"The nightmare. . ."

Her worst fear, fear of harming everyone around her, had manifested itself into a twisted dream, petrifying her.

Elsa's hand tightened on the doorknob. She wouldn't let this fear continue to control her, it had already been too many years of fear and hiding. She would overcome this.

Elsa determinedly opened the door, and headed for the gardens.

* * *

Kristoff wandered through the grove of trees, admiring the peacefulness of the area. Sure, the flowers were beautiful, but the trees held a sense of tranquility and comfort.

"Kristoff!"

He turned around towards the sound of the voice, his jaw instantly dropping as soon as he saw Elsa.

Elsa briskly walked up to him, wearing a nightgown that seemed to be made of. . . ice? A few faint sparkles caught the moonlight, making her appear ethereally enthralling.

Although her dress was made out of ice, her skirts still gracefully brushed to a halt when she stopped in front of him.

"Hello again. May I walk with you?" Elsa cautiously asked.

Kristoff quickly closed his mouth, sure that he had scared her by gawking at her. "Of course." The two continued to walk through the thicket of trees.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Elsa politely inquired.

"No. Well, yes and no. I just feel more comfortable outside, I've always been a bit of a wanderer. It's not that the rooms here are uncomfortable or anything, I mean. . ."

Elsa gave him a reassuring smile. "I understand. A house is not necessarily a home. Or a castle, in this case."

Kristoff gave a small chuckle, elliciting a grin from Elsa.

"How about you? What brings you out here in the middle of the night?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa's grin quickly fell from her face, throwing Kristoff into a panic.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he stammered.

"No, it's not tour fault. I just. . . had a nightmare." Elsa stopped walking, drawing Kristoff to a halt.

Elsa looked up at the night sky, as if searching for some hidden meaning among the stars. "Look up," she whispered.

Kristoff raised his eyes and gasped in shock and awe. It was as if someone had painted streaks of various colors onto the surface of the sky. If was like nothing he had ever seen before.

"Anna used to say that 'the sky's awake', and then would use that as an excuse to stay up later than usual. We would sneak out and watch the stars from here, in the safety of the trees. This grove has always been my most favorite place. I used to dance here. I felt free in the shelter of these trees." Elsa paused and then looked down, a deep pink washing over her cheeks. "I don't know why I'n telling you all of this, I. . . I'm sorry if I am being a burden on you," Elsa apologetically explained.

"Don't be, you're not a burden. The least I could do is listen to you after you've provided Sven and I with food and shelter," Kristoff replied.

Elsa gave him a small smile, then pensively looked at him. "Kristoff, would you like to dance? With me?" she hesitantly asked.

When Kristoff blinked in surprise, she hastily added, "I understand if you would feel uncomfortable. . . I-"

"Elsa," Kristoff gently interrupted, "I'd be honored." With a crooked smile, he awkwardly raised his left arm, causing Elsa to give a soft giggle.

"Here," she suggested, as she lowered his arm a bit with her right hand, entwining her fingers with his. Kristoff hesitatingly placed his right hand on her lower back in a slightly gawky way, while she gently placed her left hand on top of that same arm.

Elsa slowly led the two, as they danced under the Northern Lights. With every step of Elsa's, ice frosted over the grass, causing them both to stare down wonderingly at the floor made of ice.

Kristoff looked up, causing Elsa to do the same, looking into his eyes. "What about music?" Kristoff lightly teased.

Elsa thought for a moment, then softly began to sing a love song that she had heard her mother sing, long ago.

_"So this is love, mmmm, so this is love. . ._

_So this is what makes life divine. . . _

_I'm all aglow, mmmm, and now I know. . . The key to all_ _heaven_, _is mine. . ."_

Kristoff felt himself start to ease into the dance, as Elsa's striking voice glided smoothly through the air.

_"My heart has wings, mmmm, and I can fly. . ._

_I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky. . ."_

Elsa's voice trailed off as the two slowly stopped dancing, both searching each other's eyes for a glimmer of what they each felt.

Kristoff slowly raised his right hand to her face, caressing her cheek. Elsa couldn't move, her eyes wide and heart fluttering rapidly. Kristoff slowly leaned forward, closing his eyes as Elsa closed hers in response.

The pairs' lips met in a soft, gentle kiss. As the kiss melted into something deeper, Kristoff realized that he had finally found a place that he could call home; Elsa felt that she had rediscovered a part of her that had been lost for so long.

The two stayed there, formed into one in a single embrace, under the colors of the sky.

* * *

**-squeals- The kiss! I've been waiting so long for this. :D**

**Next chapter will be up on either Sunday or Monday! **


	16. Chapter 15

**Hello there! :) **

**Steefwaterbutter****: Hey! Long time no see! :D Haha, you're welcome. :D That backstory on your name was hilarious. xD When I first saw it, for some reason, I thought of steak. I dunno, I just must've been really hungry. :p Thank you! Those were my favorite parts to write; I was thinking of doing a one-shot series with Anna and Elsa as children, but then decided that there are already quite a lot out there. :) Haha, thank you again; I'm trying to incorporate more adventure and suspense into this story. :D**

**This chapter is a bit different from the previous ones, hopefully you guys like it. :D**

* * *

Hans was bored. He had been waiting for months for his father to die. It was at times like these that he wondered if he should have had Kasper kill his father instead of just supplying him with the poison to slowly kill the king.

Although Hans was thirteenth in line for the throne, his brothers were off on various excursions, whether they were for trade or reducing tensions elsewhere, leaving him with the authority at home. Once his father was out of the way, it shouldn't be too hard to stage some "accidents" for them. It was what they deserved, anyway.

After his mother had died in childbirth, Hans was raised under his father's cool and distant authority. His brothers had little to no time for him, as there was a 5 to 25 year difference in age between him and his brothers. His father stayed as far away from him as he could. King Erik of the Southern Isles blamed Hans for his wife's death, and couldn't even bring himself to look at him; his face was almost an exact copy of the late Queen Annelie's, especially his piercing green eyes.

Hans wandered through the castle hallways before stopping at his father's bedroom door. In one brusque movement, he opened the door and looked in the direction of his father's bed, where the king lay sleeping. As Hans got closer, he noticed the slight gray shade that his father's skin held, and the deep hollows in his cheeks.

Hans settled into a chair next to the bed that had once been his mother's favorite chair to relax in, or so he had heard. All that he had gathered about his mother had come from the servants, or his unbearably perfect brothers. Hans felt a surge of anger when thinking of his brothers; it wasn't fair that as the youngest, he should have to stay with their father while the others got to take care of royal affairs. "I can do anything they can do, and better," Hans thought to himself.

At that moment, the King stirred in his sleep, then woke up, slowly opening his eyes. When he saw his wife's eyes staring at him coldly in his son's face, he shifted his eyes to look up at the ceiling. The pain of longing for his wife and blame towards his son burned inside of him, causing his breathing to speed up.

"Is Anders back?" the King hoarsely asked, still not looking at Hans.

"No. He's still overseas, visiting the neighbor countries," Hans coldly replied.

"He's been gone for six years, a man needs the comforts of home."

"Home can only benefit him if he is made to feel welcome. Not made to feel like an intruder in a place that is rightfully his," Hans accusingly spoke in a monotone.

The King said nothing for a moment. After taking in a deep breath, he croaked out, "Your brothers are still in Grønnedal?"

"Your sons have been having some complications in the battles against the insurgency." The King of Grønnedal had died of poisoning, leaving his fourteen year old son to take the throne. The ones who had wished for the end of the monarchy saw their chance, and plunged the kingdom into war. The eldest sons of the Southern Isles had gone directly to the fighting, while the younger sons had traveled to other countries trying to gain support.

Hans wasn't as bitter about being left behind as he had been at the beginning of the war. If he hadn't been at home, he would never have gotten a chance to grab the throne of Arendelle.

Six years ago, after the princes of the Southern Isles had left, the King had fallen ill due to "unknown circumstances", things only the fifteen-year old Hans had known about. Hans had been given complete control over domestic affairs.

When the wreckage of the ship from Arendelle washed ashore, Hans had sent out search parties to search for survivors. When they had brought back a family ravaged by the storm and had learned who they were, he had them thrown into the dungeons. The guards were easily paid off to keep quiet.

The royal family of Arendelle had pled with Hans; it was all a misunderstanding, they weren't criminals or trespassers. Hans had them know that he knew exactly who they were, and that he planned to take the now empty throne of Arendelle, seeing as the Southern Isles was their closest trading partner. His plan changed, however, when he heard of the heir. He had to modify his plan; he would marry the princess for the throne, then quietly dispose of her. If she refused, he would enact a trading embargo against her kingdom, or attempt to blackmail her through her family. Of course, he had gotten impatient after waiting so long for her to come of age that he hired an assassin. The prisoner. All he had to do now was to wait for news of the princess' death, and to continue to keep the royal family or Arendelle hidden from his father and brothers.

"Why couldn't you be more like Frederik?" the King suddenly asked. Frederik was the oldest of the princes, at 46 years old. Although he was still a bachelor, he brought the most joy to the king.

Hans' hands clenched the arms of his chair as he spat out, "Well, Frederik has always been the 'perfect child'."

"Your brothers have always been intelligent, independent, strong, fair. You, on the other hand, have always been quietly hiding, whining, clinging to me every chance you could get. Your mother's death wasn't worth having a petulant child.

Hans stood up abruptly, not sure of what he would do, only knowing that he felt like hitting something, when a guard opened the door.

"Your Majesty, a man by the name of Kasper is here to see you."

Hans turned to face the guard, then back to his father. "I must go, father. I have to deal with affairs of the kingdom."

"You will never be king," King Erik called after him.

Hans paused at the door, then slowly turned around, wearing a smile that chilled the king to the bone.

"Really, father? I guess we'll see." With the satisfaction of having the last word, Hans strode out of the room.

* * *

**-dun dun dun-**

**The word "Grønnedal" is actually Danish for "Green Valley". :) From now on, I'd like to do a little vocabulary section here, whenever I incorporate some Norwegian or Danish words in the chapters. Are you guys on board with this idea, or no?**

**Next chapter will be up on Wednesday. :D**


	17. Chapter 16

**Hello there marshmallows! :) **

**Guest****: Thanks, I think? xD**

**Guest****: No, well. . . no, not really. :p **

* * *

Hans entered the throne room, where prominent visitors were escorted to. At the far end of the room, a man with a scar running down the right side of his face turned to face Hans, his hand on top of the king's throne.

"Get away from that," Hans snapped at him.

"What? Isn't a man allowed to touch? This sure is one fancy place you have here," the man replied.

Hans rushed forward and forcefully removed the man's hand from the arm of the throne. "You better have a good explanation for your presence here, Kasper," he threatened.

"Of course, your most ultimate highness," Kasper snidely remarked. "Ahem, your 'assassin' has decided to turn his back on you. I told you that I could get rid of the princess, but still you chose that fool."

"What? What do you mean?" Hans asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Your 'assassin' has sided with the princess. He won't be killing her anytime soon. Oh, and your princess has been hiding a large secret for quite some time. . ."

Kasper lazily trailed off, looking to the ceiling in boredom, when Hans grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall.

"Don't test me. What is this secret?!"

Kasper gasped and blurted out, "Snow! She can create ice and snow!"

Hans laughed and let go of Kasper, causing him to slump to the floor. Kasper gasped, and pressed one hand to his throat, as if trying to remove the feeling of Hans' fingers that still lingered there.

"Really, Kasper? I thought you would have come up with something better than this. . ."

"No! It's true!" Kasper reached in his pockets and pulled out a small pouch, holding it out in front of him.

Hans snatched it out of his hand, and poured the contents of it onto the floor. Fresh, unspoiled snow spilled out onto the floor. "Snow? That doesn't melt?" He crouched down, gently running the snow through his fingers. With a dark look of determination, he grabbed a handful of snow, and stuffed it back into the bag.

"You've done your duty, go, I have no use for you anymore." Hans turned and walked away, stuffing the pouch in his pocket.

"I believe you still owe me some money?" Kasper meekly asked.

Without looking back, he responded, "I believe I already paid you."

After he had slammed the door behind him, Hans shouted down the hall, "Guards! Escort this man out. Make sure that he never returns."

* * *

Anna paced around the cell of the dungeon, her hands playing with the ends of her braids.

"Anna, sit down. We're not going anywhere," the Queen murmured.

"I can't. I need to move around. I need to do something. I don't know why," she hastily replied.

"Anna. Please." Anna stopped in her tracks, her skirts swishing against her ankles. The Queen patted the space on the floor next to her, gesturing Anna over.

Anna took in her mother's tired face, her weary eyes. "Okay, Mama," she quietly complied. She sat down next to her mother against the wall, and lightly rested her head against her mother's shoulder while absentmindedly playing with the sleeve of her brown, tattered dress.

The Queen comfortingly stroked her daughter's hair, and began to hum a simple tune.

Suddenly, a guard opened the cell door and shoved the King in. "That's enough time for a restroom break." He quickly shut the door and walked away, his boots clunking against the stone floor.

"Agdar," the Queen exclaimed, hurriedly getting up to catch her husband, his shaky steps causing him to trip over his own feet.

"Papa, are you okay?" Anna rushed up to help her mother, each one taking hold of one side of him.

"I'm fine, Anna. Thank you, Idun." The King gave his wife a small smile.

Anna and the Queen gently lowered the King onto the floor, then both sat down, one on either side of him.

The King sighed, and gently grabbed hold of their hands.

"Papa, I still have some bread. Please, eat it." Anna took a hunk of stale bread out of her pocket and held it out to her father.

"No, Anna. I don't need it. Please."

"But, Papa-" Anna protested, pausing when the King's solemn stare cut her off.

Her face fell, causing the King's eyes to grow gentle in response. "I'm sorry. I did't mean to be stern. You need to eat also, don't starve yourself for me. Please." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Anna gave a slight nod, and placed the bread back in her pocket.

After a moment of silence, the King murmured, "Ah, this beard never ceases to irritate me."

The Queen lightly chuckled and squeezed his hand. "I think you still look as handsome as you did before, Agdar."

The King gave her a loving, but weary smile, and raised his hand to cradle her face, her hand still entwined with his. "You still look as radiant as you did six years ago, my dear Idun."

Anna smiled, taking in the scene before her. It was at times like these that the pain of being so far from home didn't sting as much.

"Do you think Elsa will recognize us?" Anna softly asked.

The King gave a deep sigh, and replied, "I hope so. I hope that she is well."

The Queen leaned her head into her and her husband's hands, trying to comfort herself.

"She'll be all right, Anna. We just have to have faith," the Queen reassured.

At that moment, Hans appeared at the cell door, accompanied by a guard who then unlocked the door for him. As soon as he stepped inside, he raised his hand without looking back, a signal the guard took as permission to leave.

After the guard left, Hans slowly walked forward until he was standing about two feet away from the family.

"When I asked you if there was anything I needed to know about Arendelle and its princess, I meant tell me about any secrets she might have,"he coldly enunciated.

Anna glared up at him, looking straight into his cold, emerald eyes, while the King and Queen tiredly looked at him, as if they had been expecting this day to come.

Hans pulled the pouch out of his pocket, and dumped the snow out onto the floor.

The family stared, wide-eyed and in shock at the perfect snow. "Elsa. . ." Anna whispered.

"Yes, your dear sister created this snow. It seems that she has revealed her secret to the kingdom, and they didn't declare her a monster. Hm. Well, since she still has control of the throne, and I know of her 'power', it will make it easier for me to take the throne, especially since she's still fearful of herself."

"Stay away from her," Anna coldly pronounced.

"Who's going to stop me? You? I hardly think so," Hans snidely replied, adding a cruel, short laugh at the end.

He turned to leave, and said over his shoulder, "Next time we meet, I will be the King of Arendelle."

"You're no match for Elsa," Anna yelled defiantly. She stood up, despite her parents' efforts to hold her back.

Hans turned to face her, and callously replied, " I think I can handle a young, scared girl. But thank you for your concern." With that, he slammed the door in Anna's face.

As soon as he left, the guard came back downstairs to lock the door, then headed back upstairs.

The King and Queen stood up and walked over to Anna. The Queen took hold of one of her hands, while the King placed a steady hand on her shoulder.

"Elsa, how is she going to protect herself from that. . . that monster?" Anna hopelessly whispered.

The Queen brushed Anna's bangs back from her face, and lightly rested her hand against her cheek. "Elsa will be fine," she murmured. "If she is still anything like the responsible, intelligent young lady we last saw, she will be alright. I know it."

"But she never learned how to fully master her powers!" Anna desperately replied.

"She can do it. She will. If she truly has told the people, then she must have gained some control. Kai will help her, as will the rest of the staff," the King confidently spoke.

"Elsa, please be okay," Anna whispered.

An hour later, when her parents had fallen asleep on the cold stone floor, Anna strayed over to the dungeon window. She gazed out at the stars, wondering if Elsa was doing the same thing.

"Do you want to build a snowman?" she whispered into the night air.

* * *

**Finally! We get to see Anna, the King and the Queen! :D Anna's a bit feisty, but then again, six years of being held against your will for no reason will probably do that to you. :p The King and Queen are a bit more subdued; they haven't exactly given up, but they know that fighting will only get them in more trouble. There'll be more on that later. :)**

**Next chapter will be up on Thursday! Until next time! :D **


	18. Chapter 17

**Hello again!**

**Quick thank you to anyone that's read this. This story's gotten almost 5,000 views, that's just unfathomable to me! Thank you all, even if you merely glanced at this and decided this story wasn't your cup of tea. :) I appreciate all of the love this story has received. Thank you, I love you all. :D**

* * *

"Kai!" Elsa called out.

Kai turned around and saw Elsa down at the other end of the hallway, coming towards him.

"Yes, milady?" he responded with a bow.

"I would like to hold a ball for the upcoming coronation. It will be a good way for me to interact with the people, and to get to know our foreign neighbors."

"Of course, Princess. When do you plan on hosting this ball?"

"The day before the coronation."

"That gives is six days to prepare," Kai pensively replied.

"Is that enough time? I don't mean to be a burden, if it is too much-" Elsa hastily spoke, worry crossing her face.

"Princess," Kai politely interrupted, "It will be fine. Don't worry. We will handle it. All that you need to do is to send out the invitations."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a burden on the staff. . ." Elsa anxiously asked.

"Yes, Princess. Go, enjoy life. You've been stuck in this castle for too long. Why don't you go visit your friend?" Kai suggested, putting an emphasis on the last word.

Elsa blinked in surprise, then looked away, trying to hide the deep blush that had blossomed over her face. "I. . . I should go outside. Thank you, Kai." With that, she lightly touched his shoulder, gave him a shy smile and walked past him, towards the main hallway.

After she had left, Kai softly laughed and shook his head in wonder. "I hope that she can find peace at last," he murmured.

* * *

Kristoff sat on the floor of Sven's stall, chewing on a carrot. Sven lay next to him, his face about halfway in the sack of carrots that lay near Kristoff's feet.

"Woah boy, you might want to slow down," Kristoff warned.

With a snort, Sven crunched on a carrot and burrowed deeper into the sack.

Kristoff sighed and ran his hand over the length of Sven's back. Suddenly, he heard light steps enter the barn.

"Kristoff?"

He sat up straighter, recognizing Elsa's voice as her whisper wandered over to him.

"In here," he called. He stood up, disrupting the sack of carrots and thus causing Sven to give a grunt of irritation.

Kristoff opened the stall door as Elsa walked up to it, causing her to hastily step back to avoid getting hit.

"I'm sorry, I-" Kristoff hastily apologized before Elsa cut him off.

"It's fine, really." Elsa placed her left hand on her chest in an attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart, while grinning at Kristoff's clumsiness.

"Um. . . would you like to come in? Or we should probably go outside. It smells strongly of reindeer here," Kristoff awkwardly mumbled.

"I'm fine here," Elsa reassured him. She walked past Kristoff, into the small stall. She noticed Sven, and crouched down on the floor next to him."Hello there," she cooed. Sven's head emerged from the sack, a carrot dangling out of his mouth.

Elsa laughed, the sound bubbling out of her, and scratched Sven behind his ears. Kristoff grinned, and crouched down next to her.

"Thank you again for letting us stay here. We'll be sure to come and visit," said Kristoff.

"Visit? Where are you going?" Elsa asked, confusion apparent in her voice and on her face.

"We can't take advantage of your kindness. We'll find a place in town so that we aren't a burden on you," Kristoff explained.

"You two are guests. There is no reason for you to leave," Elsa reasoned.

"No, I don't want to intrude-"

"Kristoff." He paused while in mid-sentence, his mouth open. You two are always welcome here." Elsa placed her hand on top of his in an effort to comfort him.

"But-"

"No. No more protesting." Elsa solemnly stared into his eyes, her striking blue ones holding his gaze.

With a sigh, Kristoff relented. "Alright. But you have to let me help out, in any way that I can."

"You don't-"

"If you're going to have me stay, then I'll need to earn it. Earn our stay." He nodded in Sven's direction.

Elsa hesitated for a moment, then gave him a small nod. "Alright then. Do we have a deal?" She held her hand out to him.

Kristoff steadily shook her hand, not breaking eye contact for a second.

After they shook hands, Elsa cleared her throat, and spoke.

"Would you like to go into town with me? I haven't properly been there in so long."

"Of course." Kristoff stood up, and helped Elsa up. Once both were standing, he offered her his arm.

"We'll be back, Sven," Kristoff called.

_-snort-_

"Will he be okay on his own?" Elsa asked, her voice full of concern.

"Those carrots will keep him occupied for a while," Kristoff replied with a chuckle.

* * *

**That's all for today! Until Saturday! :) **


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey there! **

**rspringb****: :D :D**

* * *

Elsa and Kristoff walked through the town, Elsa's hand lightly resting on Kristoff's arm. They greeted everybody they came across, Elsa politely nodding and Kristoff awkwardly waving.

"I don't know what to do," he worriedly whispered.

"Don't worry. If I remember correctly, it was you who made me realize that they are nothing to be afraid of," Elsa lightly teased.

Kristoff dramatically grimaced. "Using my own words against me?" With a sigh, he added, "Well, I did say that I would do anything to earn my stay."

"If this really makes you uncomfortable, you can return back to the castle." Kristoff looked down at Elsa and saw a hint of worry behind her perfectly poised façade. Her hand trembled slightly on his arm.

"No, I'll stay." With his free hand, Kristoff laid it on top of Elsa's and gave her a comforting smile.

"Thank you," Elsa gratefully whispered. She didn't want Kristoff to feel like he had to stay with her, but his presence made her feel safe and protected.

The two came across a flower cart, piled high with seasonal flowers. The vendor bowed to Elsa and stood off to the side to let her examine the flowers. Elsa let go of Kristoff's arm and went up to the cart, as if drawn by the aromatic fragrances and vibrant colors.

"Greplyng. . . that was always Anna's favorite. Tysbast, reinrose, lavender, brudespore, blåveis, fjellflokk. . . blåklokke?" Elsa tentatively picked up a sprig of blåklokke. "This was Mama's favorite," she softly whispered.

"Would you like some, Your Highness?" the vendor kindly asked.

"Oh, I don't have any money with me-"

"Please, take it."

"Oh no, I couldn't just take it without paying," Elsa gently objected.

"Please, Princess." The vendor picked out the best of the blåklokke and greplyng, and held them out to her. "Please, take them."

Elsa hesitated for a moment, then tentatively took the flowers. "Thank you, I. . . I don't know what to say."

"Your mother used to visit my cart, especially for these flowers. I remember, a few times, that she brought you and your sister along." The vendor smiled, crinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes.

Elsa stared at him in shock, the man's smile bringing up a distant memory. Whenever het mother brought her and Anna along with her to the town, they would stop at the flower cart. It became part of their routine to purchase flowers whenever they came into town. The vendor would always let her and Anna smell all of the flowers, and would smile at them from a distance. She didn't remember ever hearing the vendor talk about children of his own, or a family for that matter.

Elsa felt a pang of guilt. How could she have abandoned her mother's custom? How could she have been so selfish as to hide from the town?

With tears welling in her eyes, Elsa gently took hold of the vendor's frail hand, holding it carefully in one of her own. "Thank you. Words cannot express my gratitude. I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to return."

The vendor's eyes began to fill, tears glassing over them. "There is no need for apologies. You are always welcome here." He gave her a deep bow, and then sniffed, as if trying to stop his tears from falling.

Elsa curtsied in return, and then slowly let go of his hand. She was reluctant to leave the place that reminded her so much of her mother and her childhood.

Elsa gave the vendor an appreciative smile, and walked towards another part of the town, Kristoff following close behind. The vendor smiled to himself,reminiscing in times past. "Some things never change," he thought contentedly.

* * *

**Here are links to pictures of the flowers mentioned above. :) **

**Greplyng:** no. wiki/Greplyng

**Tysbast: ** no. wiki/Tysbast

**Reinrose:** no. wiki/Reinrose

**Lavender: ** en. wiki/Lavandula

**Brudespore:** /Tags/brudespore/Interesting

**Blåveis: ** no. wiki/Blåveis

**Fjellflokk:** no. wiki/Fjellflokk

**Blåklokke: ** no. wiki/Blåklokke

**That's all for today! Until Monday! :D**


	20. Chapter 19

**Hey there lovelies! **

**Prettyprincess45: Awh, thanks! :,D**

***** Due to end of the year projects and finals, updates will now be once/****maybe**** twice a week. I'm SOOOOO sorry, but right now I need to just focus 100% on getting through the last few weeks of school. I'm so sorry, please don't hate me. D: When I find some free time, I will be absolutely sure to update, but right now it looks like updates will be a weekly occurrence instead of one every other day. I'm so sorry. *****

* * *

"Excuse me?"

Kai turned around to see Kristoff, wearing an apprehensive look on his face.

"Yes, Sir Kristoff?"

"Erm, just Kristoff. . . please. I was, um. . . wondering. . . what exactly Princess Elsa likes?" Kristoff timidly asked.

Kai grinned._ "Ah, so the Princess really does have a suitor?"_ he thought.

"Well, she enjoys fyrstekake, krumkake, flowers, chocolate, books, geometry, nighttime and picnics, among other various things." The last item was a bit of a stretch, as Elsa hadn't been to a picnic in years. Kai had only included it to give Kristoff an idea.

Kristoff scrunched his eyebrows in thought, then quickly relaxed them. He looked up gratefully at Kai. "Thank you. . . Kai?"

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you." With a bashful grin, Kristoff turned and almost sprinted down the hallway, leaving Kai behind to chuckle to himself before continuing on his way.

* * *

Elsa sat down at her desk, or more appropriately, her father's desk. After her family died, she had taken it upon herself to attempt to learn of all the foreign agreements and domestic affairs. Her father's study had become her refuge, her safe haven. When she sat in his chair, listening to the fire crackling in the fireplace, she almost believed that he would come in and read with her, or that Anna would come running in to lie down on the rug.

Yesterday, after she and Kristoff had returned from the town, she had gone to her father's study to write out the invitations for the ball.

She had sent invitations to the kingdoms of the Southern Isles, Storbakke, Solfylt Dalen, Hederlig, Klok Elv, Fredeligdal and Velstående, among many others. Thinking of the Southern Isles had led to remembrances of gloomy memories, and she struggled to think of something else. She remembered that most of the sons had gone to fight in Grønnedal, against the insurgency.

She shuddered at the thought of war, and wished that there was something, anything that she could do to help. The trouble was, she didn't know how. Would it help the King of Grønnedal to send soldiers, or would he only reject help from an outsider? The cold object in her hand brought her to attention. She had frozen her quill while lost in thought.

Elsa dropped the quill in shock, and brought her hand in closer to herself. "No. . ." As she struggled to gain control, she stood up and reached for the doorknob. As soon as she touched it, it froze over, the ice spreading along the length of the door.

Elsa backed away from the door, eyes wide with terror, still clutching her hand to her chest.

At that moment, Kristoff's heavy steps were heard approaching the door. "Elsa?" The doorknob started to turn.

"No, don't come in!" Elsa hastily cried out.

The doorknob immediately ceased to turn. Elsa imagined Kristoff's shocked expression on the other side of the door and bit her lip in guilt and terror.

"What happened? Is everything all right? Should I bring someone over here?" Kristoff worriedly asked.

"No, don't call anyone. The door. . . I froze most of it. Please go, you're not safe here," Elsa desperately pleaded.

After a second of silence, Kristoff spoke up. "Elsa, everything's fine. Don't be afraid of yourself. If you're going to let people in, you can't hide behind closed doors anymore. I'm going to come in, okay?"

With a small whimper, Elsa gave a small nod, despite the fact that Kristoff couldn't see it.

With a grunt, Kristoff shoved the door open. He entered the room slowly and saw Elsa backed up against the wall. She stood there, half hidden in the drapes, hyperventilating and clasping her hands together tightly, as if the ice would explode from her of she didn't restrain herself.

Kristoff slowly walked forward. "Elsa, see? I'm fine, you're fine. The door still works, everything is okay." He stopped in front of her, and took hold of her petite hands.

Elsa closed her eyes and took in slow, deep breaths. After a few minutes had passed, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Kristoff patiently waiting. The tender warmness of his eyes seemed to melt the fear that encased her heart.

"I-I'm sorry," Elsa stammered.

"For what? You didn't do anything."

"I yelled at you, and tried to shut you out instead of letting you in like-"

"Elsa. I honestly don't think that qualified as yelling. I've been yelled at before; that was nothing compared to past yellings," Kristoff lightly teased.

"But I-"

"No. You don't need to apologize." Kristoff softly kissed Elsa's hands. He then brought one of his hands up to her face, the other now cradling both of her hands, and sweeped her bangs back. Elsa's lips shaped themselves into a tranquil smile. Kristoff brought his hand to the side of her face, gently cradling it, while Elsa leaned her head comfortably into it, as if that was where it belonged.

"I'm surprised that you haven't given up on me yet. I tire myself out sometimes," Elsa lightly joked.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kristoff murmured.

Elsa gazed lovingly at him for a moment, then tentatively stood up on her toes and softly kissed him. When she pulled away, she bashfully grinned up at him.

Kristoff laughed, and lowered his hands, only to place them on her waist and then to spin her around.

"Kristoff!" Elsa breathlessly laughed. When he placed her back down, she laid her hands on both sides of his face. "What was it that you came to see me about?"

"Oh! Yes, ummm. . . would you like to join me for a picnic up on the cliff?"

"Isn't it a bit too late?" Elsa worriedly furrowed her eyebrows together.

"I've already gone to Kai. I think he'll be expecting our absence at dinner," Kristoff lightly replied.

Elsa's face relaxed into an eager smile. She brought her hands down from his face, only to hold onto one of his hands. "Then let's go."

Kristoff beamed in return, and led her out of the room.

"Will we be walking there?" Elsa asked once they were in the hallway.

"No, Sven will take us."

"As in, we'll be riding on Sven?"

"Yepp."

"Have you done this before?"

"No, but there's always tome for firsts," Kristoff replied with a grin.

* * *

**Storbakke= stor + bakke= Norwegian and Danish for "large hill".**

**Solfylt Dalen= Norwegian for "sunny valley".**

**Hederlig= Norwegian for "honorable".**

**Klok Elv= Norwegian for "wise river".**

**Fredeligdal= Fredelig + Dal= Norwegian and Danish for "preaceful valley".**

**Velstående= Norwegian and Danish for "prosperous/wealthy". **

That's all for today! Until Friday, hopefully!


	21. Chapter 20

**Long time no see! :D **

**Prettyprincess45: Thank you so much for understanding! :,) Good luck with your schoolwork. :D Thank you so much, you're too kind. :D Right?! Disney should make a ride where you get to ride on Sven through Arendelle or something, that would be amazing.**

**Skipper: Thank you! :D**

* * *

"Come on Sven, faster!"

With a snort, Sven started to run even faster, causing Elsa to give a small yelp in surprise. She clung tighter to Kristoff's waist, shutting her eyes tightly against the wind.

"Are you okay?" Kristoff asked.

"I-I'm fine," Elsa stammered. "Are we almost there?"

"Nearly, hold on, okay?"

With a slight nod, Elsa pressed the side of her face against Kristoff's shoulder.

Sven ran through the forest, easily stepping over roots and rocks. When they neared the cliff, he slowed down, stopping only when they emerged from the trees.

"Elsa? We're here."

Elsa tentatively opened her eyes, her breathing deep and irregular.

"Elsa? Are you okay?" Kristoff worried asked.

"Yes, I-I'm fine."

"Maybe next time we should walk." Kristoff chuckled softly to himself. "Do you. . . need help?"

"No, I'm alright. Really." Elsa slowly released her hold on Kristoff's waist and cautiously slid off Sven's back onto the ground.

Kristoff jumped off and turned to face her, a grin spreading over his face. "See, it wasn't that bad."

Elsa could only give a shaky nod.

"Come on, did you even notice the food?" Kristoff lightly teased.

Elsa blinked at the word 'food', and looked towards the cliff's edge where food lay spread out on top of a blanket.

"Kristoff, you didn't have to-"

"Nope. No arguing." Kristoff offered her his arm, and the two walked over to the food.

When they settled themselves down onto the blanket, Sven lying down a few feet away, Elsa paused to look over the food.

"Chocolate krumkake and fyrstkake? How did you know?" she asked incredulously.

"Well. . . I sort of asked Kai," Kristoff sheepishly replied.

Elsa gave a small laugh and reached for Kristoff's hand, clasping it tightly. "Thank you Kristoff, this is wonderful."

"Well then, let's eat!"

The two dug into the food, the sweet flavors enticing them to eat more.

After a few moments of eating in comfortable silence, Elsa spoke up. "I haven't had a picnic in so long."

"I've never had one," Kristoff replied as he wiped crumbs off of his face.

Elsa sat there, ruminating over this newfound fact.

"Kristoff. . . do you have any family?" she quietly asked.

Kristoff sat there quietly, staring off into the night, throwing Elsa into a panic.

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant to pry, I-"

"No, you don't have to apologize. It's fine." With a sigh, Kristoff turned to look at her, an intense look of sadness appearing in his eyes despite the small smile on his face.

"I'm an orphan. I never knew my parents. I was raised in an orphanage in a town called Blå Sjøen until about three years ago, when I turned eighteen."

_"He's the same age as I am."_ Elsa stored this fact away in the back of her mind. How could she have spent so much time with him and never asked him how old he was?

"They had all of the orphans study a different trade in order for us to make a living once we left the orphanage. I chose the amazing art of ice cutting; don't ask why, I'm not really sure myself." Kristoff gave a soft laugh.

"Harvesting ice for the town was tedious, but it made me feel less alone. There were about twenty other men there, all of us singing to keep warm and to pass the time. One day though, I got tired of the same routine, day after day. I didn't know it then, but I wanted an adventure. So I left. And well. . . here I am."

Kristoff cringed internally. His story had been true, until the end. He hated the fact that he had agreed to carry out such a heinous crime; it had been a low point in his life that he did not want to revisit. Also, even if he had told Elsa, she would have lost all trust in him, leaving him as empty as he was before. _"I should tell her, but what if she hates me? I can't lose her, but I can't lie to her. . . I'll tell her. Someday."_

Elsa moved over to where Kristoff sat and held his face carefully in her hands. "Thank you, for sharing this with me. I shouldn't have forced it out of you," she whispered.

Kristoff placed a hand over one of hers and gave her a soft smile. "It's fine. You told me about your past, it's only fair that I tell you mine."

Elsa leaned forward, her nose barely touching Kristoff's.

"I love you," she whispered.

Kristoff felt a pang of guilt. _"How can she love me? I shouldn't be here; how can I keep lying to her when she opens up more and more everyday?"_ he worriedly thought.

He started to pull away, causing Elsa to hold on more tightly. "Kristoff? What is it? I'm sorry, did I. . ." she trailed off. Her eyes widened in worry, frantically searching his for an answer.

"No, it wasn't you," Kristoff hurriedly replied. _"Great, now now I'm not only lying to_ _her but hurting_ _her too."_

"Elsa, how can you love me? I'm just a lost guy with a sketchy past; you're the epitome of everything that's good and beautiful. How?" Kristoff quietly asked.

"Kristoff, you're not evil. You're not a criminal, or a murderer." Kristoff gave a small flinch at this. "You're more than you think you are. You're selfless, kind and always sure of things around you. Why can't you truly see yourself?"

Kristoff slowly relaxed, and gently leaned his forehead against Elsa's. "I. . . I'll try."

"Good." With an easy smile, Elsa added, "Oh, 'epitome of everything good and beautiful'? I think that's a bit of an overstatement."

Kristoff lightly chuckled and countered, "How about 'kind and selfless'? I think we're pretty much even."

Elsa grinned, eliciting a gentle one from Kristoff. "I love you," he whispered.

"I know. I love you too," Elsa quietly replied.

Kristoff softly kissed her on her forehead and then stood up, gently pulling her up with him. "Come on, we should go back."

"Can we walk this time?" Elsa asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

With a laugh, Kristoff complied. "Okay."

* * *

**Blå Sjøen: Norwegian for blue lake/sea.**

**That's all for today! Next update will be on Sunday/Monday. :)**


	22. Chapter 21

**Helloooo there! **

**Prettyprincess45 and Guest: Thank you! :D**

**This chapter's a bit of a filler, before stuff goes down at the coronation ball. ;)**

* * *

The invitation lay on Hans' desk, the contents strewn all over the table.

Hans leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. He hadn't realized that Elsa's coronation was only a few days away.

_"I have to act quickly, before she agrees to marry someone else," _he pensively thought to himself.

A coronation ball. . . the perfect time to get acquainted with the Princess. After getting on her good side, Hans would propose. He was absolutely confident that she would accept. "Why wouldn't she? This feeble young girl will probably throw herself at me out of desperation."

Hans smiled slyly to himself, then froze, a thought creeping into his mind. "But that prisoner, Kristian? Kristoffer? What if he told her? That two-faced. . ."

Suddenly, Hans noticed the invitation out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, but she wouldn't send an invitation if she knew, would she?"

He picked it up, slowly twirling it around in his hands.

He would simply have to stay out of that "Kristoffer's" way until he was sure that he had won the Princess over. Then he would tell her that "Kristoffer" was an escaped assassin whose last goal had been to kill her. That would sever whatever alliance they had for good. Hell, the Princess might even get him killed.

Hans picked up the bell that sat on the corner of his desk and rang it three times.

A servant opened the door and walked into the room, bowing in front of Hans.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Tell the servants to pack my finest clothes and to prepare a ship for Arendelle. I will be leaving in two days time."

* * *

_Two days later. . ._

"Place those flowers over there!"

Kai directed a servant towards the dining room while shouting orders at others in the hallway.

Over the past few days, the castle had been full of people bustling about with preparations for the ball. Kai didn't mind though. It was like returning to previous times. A few times, he could have sworn that he heard Princess Anna apologize profusely after hearing a clanging noise resonate in the halls.

_"Her presence will never truly be gone from_ _these_ _halls,"_ he contentedly thought to himself.

Elsa stood near a window, arranging some flowers in vases that stood nearby. After pleading with Kai to let her help with the preparations, he had complied and gave her a simple task.

Kristoff stood next to her to help, a basket of flowers in his hands. As the two talked and laughed, Kai felt at ease.

He liked this Kristoff. He approved of his kind, shy ways and his ability to easily bring a smile to the Princess' face. He was grateful to him for making her feel less lonely. However. . .

Kai felt a hint of suspicion and confusion towards him. Where had he come from? What was his history? After years of caring for the young princess, Kai felt protective of her, like a mother hen and its chicks. Or in this case, a lone chick.

When he had asked Elsa about Kristoff's past a day ago, she had described him as a puzzle. "Although he told me about his childhood, I still feel that there is something that he is keeping from me. Something that he's ashamed of. I won't push him, he'll tell me when it's time. I'll be fine, Kai. Don't worry, Kristoff would never hurt me."

Kai had no choice but to trust her. "It is my duty to trust the Princess and her decisions," he worriedly thought.

A maid passed by with an armful of drapes, waking Kai from his reverie.

He looked again at Elsa as Kristoff picked a flower and place it behind her ear. The flower fell forward, causing Elsa to laugh and to place it more securely.

Kai smiled softly to himself and walled off after the maid, offering his assistance.

* * *

**Short chapter, I know, I'm sorry. ;_;**

**Recently, I've been listening to Frozen songs in different languages. I dunno why, but I'm really liking the Latvian versions. :o Have you guys listened to Frozen songs in other languages? :)**

**Next chapter will be up on Thursday or Friday! :D**


	23. Chapter 22

**Hey there friends! **

**Prettyprincess45: Why thank you! :D After I saw your comment, I looked up the Spanish soundtrack. It was AMAZING. :D Haha, I feel the same about it; I love it, but I don't understand anything, maybe 5 words maximum. :p**

**Kairi-Elsa: Hey! Haven't heard from you in a while, how's it going? :) Let it Go in Japanese is AMAZING. Heck, the whole soundtrack in Japanese is amazing. :,D Thank you for enjoying the story and for being so understanding, love! :D**

* * *

_Thirteen years ago. . ._

"Dum dum dum dah! Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" A five-year old Anna placed a crown of flowers on Elsa's head. The two were playing in the grove of trees they claimed as their own.

Elsa giggled and placed the crown more securely on her head.

"Any words on your conoration, Your Majesty?" Anna dramatically inquired.

"You mean coronation," Elsa corrected.

"Yeah, that. Speech! Give us a speech!"

Anna clapped her hands excitedly and sat down on the grass among their dolls and stuffed animals.

Elsa stood up and self-consciously crossed her hands behind her back. "Ummm. . . thank you. I hope that I'll be a good ruler like Papa, and-"

"Yay, Elsa! Papa! Woohoo! Now do the magic!" Anna chirpily interrupted.

Elsa grinned, relieved to have her speech cut short, and stomped her tiny foot onto the ground. The grass and ground surrounding the two was soon covered with a thin layer of ice.

"Yay! All Hail Queen Elsa!" Anna jumped up and started to skip around Elsa.

Elsa giggled joyfully and grabbed hold of Anna's hands. "Princess Anna of Arendelle!" she proclaimed with pride.

Anna giggled and started to run around, dragging Elsa along with her.

"Anna, where are we going?!"

"Where Queens and Princesses belong!" Anna squealed with a cheery laugh.

The two ran back inside the castle the Great Hall.

"Sit down, sit down, sit down!" Anna exclaimed.

Elsa jumped onto one of the thrones, while Anna took the one beside her.

"We need to make laws," Elsa thoughtfully spoke aloud.

"Hmm. . . from now on, July will be Chocolate Month!"

"July? Why July?"

"It's your birthday month! The Queen should get chocolate every day in her birthday month!"

Elsa turned to Anna and gave her a wide grin. "March will be known as Snowman Month!"

"Flower Month!"

"Krumkake Month!"

"Princess Anna Month!"

The two erupted into peals of laughter, the sounds echoing around the room.

The doors suddenly opened, revealing the King and the Queen standing in the doorway.

"Mama! Papa!" the girls screamed.

"What are you doing in my chair?" the King jokingly asked as he ran after them.

Elsa and Anna giggled and started to run away from their father.

The Queen stayed near the door, one hand pressed over her mouth as she laughed at the sight of her family running around the Great Hall.

"Elsa! Elsa, help!" Anna was trapped in a corner as the King came closer. She tried to run under his legs, but was soon easily caught.

"I've gotten one of them!" the King proudly announced as he toted a laughing Anna on his shoulder towards his wife.

A snowball suddenly hit him on the shoulder. The King swiftly turned around to see Elsa giggling behind her hand.

The King placed Anna next to her mother, then walked towards Elsa.

"Ah, so it was you?"

"Stay away, Papa!" Anna excitedly yelled.

The King reached out to grab Elsa's hand when she froze the floor around his feet, causing him to slip on the ice.

The King slipped, giving out a grunt before he fell onto the floor, face-down.

"Papa!" Elsa yelled.

She ran forward and sat down next to him, shaking his shoulder.

"Papa!" Elsa's voice now held a hint of panic.

The Queen ran over, carrying Anna in her arms. "Agdar!"

The King's eyes flashed open, and he trapped Elsa in his arms.

"I've got her!" he triumphantly announced.

"Papa, stop!" Elsa breathlessly giggled. "That's not fair!"

The King released her and stood up, gently pulling her up with him.

"I'm not as sprightly as I used to be." He laughed as he said this, a wide smile spreading over his face.

The Queen shook her head, and reached for Elsa's hand while still carrying Anna in one arm. "Come along, it's suppertime."

Elsa eagerly grabbed hold of her mother's hand and with her other one, reached for her father's.

"Are you ready to take your place as Queen at such a young age?" the King lightly joked.

"No. . . I don't think I ever will be. . ." Elsa worriedly whispered.

The King and the Queen exchanged a glance.

"Anna, let's go get you cleaned up for supper," said the Queen. With a loving smile and a squeeze of Elsa's hand, the Queen walked out of the room, Anna looking over her shoulder with wide eyes at Elsa the whole time.

"Elsa, you'll be fine," the King gently reassured her.

Elsa nervously looked down and whispered, "I won't be as good as you."

The King crouched down until he was eye-level with Elsa. "Elsa, look at me."

Elsa warily looked into her father's soft, green eyes. Eyes that never seemed to match his light spirit, one so much like Anna's. However, it was at times like these, when he spoke gently to her like she was the only one in the world that his eyes seemed at place.

The King held Elsa's hands securely in his own. "I don't want you to think that you have to be me. The people will love you for who you are. I just want you to be yourself. Don't underestimate yourself. Remember that."

Elsa gave a small nod, and hugged her father tightly.

With a grunt, the King picked her up and carried her out of the room.

"You're getting too old for this, but there's always room for exceptions."

Elsa smiled and leaned her head comfortably against her father's shoulder.

"You'll be fine, Elsa."

* * *

**I love writing about Elsa and Anna as children. :D My favorite part was developing the King's character in this chapter. I tried to make connections between him and Anna because I just feel like they would have been very similar, but his "Kingly duties" kept him from being all carefree and energetic in public, so the only time that he would be able to show that would be with his family. :) I really wish we had been able to see more of the King and Queen in the movie. D:**

**I made Elsa's birthday in July because in the movie her coronation takes place in the summer. I made Anna's birthday in March because to me, she just seems like she was born in the spring. :D**

**This chapter is supposed to show when Elsa's anxieties about becoming Queen and filling in her father's shoes originated. :)**

**That's all for today! Until Saturday** **or Sunday! :D**


	24. Chapter 23

**Long time no see! This upcoming week is my last week of school, so the updates should be back to a more regular schedule soon! :D**

* * *

Elsa woke up with tears in her eyes. She had almost forgotten that carefree event with her family so many years ago.

She got up and dressed herself in a dark, purple dress. Her coronation dress would be worn later on that night.

Elsa stood in front of the mirror and examined the girl that she saw staring back at her. It took her a minute, but she was still able to find her eight-year old self hiding behind her eyes.

"It's the coronation ball today," she whispered to herself. She gave herself a tiny half-smile, remembering Anna's slip-up in vocabulary.

She methodically did her hair in a simple bun and fastened the brooch made especially for this day onto her dress.

With a nervous nod of reassurance to her other self in the mirror, Elsa headed out, ready to face the day.

* * *

"Do I have to wear this?"

Kristoff frowned at the clothes laid out for him on the bed.

"Yes." Elsa gave him a self-satisfied smile.

"Why can't I just wear what I'm wearing now?"

"You've been wearing that ever since I first met you. It's time for a change of clothes." Taking his hands in hers, she reasoned, "It's only for today."

Kristoff sighed, and repeated the phrase to himself. "It's only for today. . .okay, fine."

"Thank you." Elsa grinned and let go of his hands in order to pick up the jacket meant for him, holding it up to his chest.

"You knew I would agree if you became irresistibly adorable, you cheater."

"It's called using what I have," Elsa playfully countered.

"I'm going to look like a fool."

"You're going to look handsome. You'll be fine, Kristoff."

Kristoff looked down at Elsa, noticing the vacancy in her eyes. "Are you okay? You're here but you're not really. . . .here. What are you worried about?"

Elsa lowered the jacket and looked at him, embarrassment apparent on her face. "I-I'm fine, really."

"Elsa."

Elsa glanced away and then looked back up at him. "It's just. . . what if they don't trust me? It'll be much harder to gain a roomful of royal officials' trust than how I gained the townspeople's. My powers might lose Arendelle some allies."

"Don't worry. You'll win them over."

Elsa turned rose-red, and shyly looked down at the tips of her shoes poking out from the hem of her dress.

Kristoff softly chuckled at her embarrassment. "Will you tell them tonight?" he gently asked.

"I don't know. Maybe tomorrow. Although, the closest kingdoms probably know already."

"Well. . .no one's declined, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then don't worry. These people want to know about you. Who wouldn't be amazed by a princess who can control snow and ice?"

Elsa laughed and placed Kristoff's jacket down on the bed. "Thank you, Kristoff. You're always there to calm me down. I wish I could do something for you to show you how much you mean to me, but-"

"You don't need to show me anything. I don't need anything else, as long as I have you."

Elsa came closer to Kristoff until she was only a few inches away. "That's very sweet of you. I didn't know you had such a sensitive side," she lightly teased.

Kristoff blushed bright red, and mumbled out, "Well, I-I umm. . ." before Elsa interrupted him with a peck on the cheek.

He blinked and turned to see Elsa shyly smiling up at him. With a smile, he gave her a gentle kiss.

Elsa pulled away after a moment and gave him an apologetic smile. "I have to go. I'm sorry if I'm not able to see you until later on tonight. I need to help with preparations and receiving early guests and all. . ."

"It's fine. Go run the kingdom." Kristoff beamed, fully confident in her ability to make things run smoothly.

"Okay then, until tonight." Elsa gave him a small wave and walked out the door, the door closing noiselessly behind her.

Kristoff turned back to look at the ensemble spread out on the bed.

He sighed, and glanced out the window. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind.

"I still have a couple of hours before I have to put this on. I'll go walk around with Sven."

Kristoff rushed out of the room, eager to get as far away as possible from the suit.

* * *

"Your Majesty! We will be arriving in Arendelle in a couple of hours!"

"Good." Hans walked towards the bow of the boat, the sea breeze ruffling his hair as he strolled along the length of the ship.

_"I'm almost there," _he smugly thought to himself.

His mind wandered back to his last visit to the dungeons.

"I'll be leaving for Arendelle in a few hours for your sister's coronation," he had announced.

"I thought you had said that the next time we saw you, you would be King of Arendelle," Anna coldly pronounced.

"Plans change."

Anna stood up and walked over to Hans, despite her father's attempt to grab her hand in order to hold her back.

"Elsa's much smarter than you ever will be. She won't be tricked into doing anything for you."

"Really? We'll see."

"You won't win."

"Oh, you don't know yet. For all we know, I might not only be the King of Arendelle but other numerous kingdoms."

"What do you mean?" Anna demanded, panic apparent in her voice.

"Once I have control of Arendelle, I will plunge it into war with Grønnedal, thus taking the throne from that fool of a king. And once I've done that, what's stopping me from acquiring others with a little brute force? And, I will achieve all of this with your perfect sister at my side."

"Elsa? Elsa would never help a monster like you!" Anna defiantly yelled.

"She might, if she knew that the lives of her family were on the line." Hans smiled maliciously.

"No!" Anna backed up in shock. "She can't do that for us. . ."

Hans walked forward and grabbed Anna by the chin. "Oh my poor, dear Anna. . ."

"I'm not your dear anything!" Anna yelled as she struggled to get away.

The King swiftly stood up with a newfound strength and forcibly removed Hans' hand. "Stay away from my daughters," he coldly spoke.

Hans' eyes glinted with anger. "I would watch my tongue if I were you, old man." He raised his hand to strike the King.

"No! It wasn't his fault!" Anna cried out. The Queen quickly took her in her arms, gently restraining her.

"Anna, hush," the King solemnly spoke.

Tears ran down Anna's face as she clutched to her mother.

"I know. But if we do something, he'll hurt Elsa. We have to be strong for her," the Queen whispered to Anna, tears falling from her eyes as she silently cried.

Hans brought his arm back, while the King closed his eyes, awaiting his punishment.

Hans's arm started to come down, then dropped to his side. "That's your only warning. Watch out next time, old man." With a wicked laugh, he turned and left.

* * *

**-dun dun dun!- **

**That's all for today! Next update will be on Tuesday or Wednesday! :)**


	25. Chapter 24

**Hello again! :)**

**Prettyprincess45: And more you shall have! :D**

**Belmont9: Thank you so much, you're such a sweetie. :,D**

**Keep Calm And Freeze On: Oh my goodness, thank you! :D I will keep that request in mind; there will definitely be more Anna in later chapters. :D**

**This is the part of the story where tensions start to increase, and intense stuff starts to go down. Hope you enjoy it! :D**

* * *

Elsa stood in the main hallway, perfectly poised and ready to receive the guests. The townspeople had already started to congregate in the castle square, slowly entering the castle itself.

Kristoff walked in behind a group of people, trying to avoid Elsa's quick eye. He had come back from wandering around with Sven and had nearly forgotten about the ball.

As he tried to walk quickly past her while hiding behind a man taller than him, he heard someone clear their throat.

He slowly turned to see Elsa staring at him, one eyebrow raised, her lips turned upward in a mirthful grin.

Kristoff defeatedly walked over to her. "I know. I'll go get dressed right now."

Elsa laughed as she picked a piece of straw out of his blond hair. "Were you in the barn with Sven?" she humorously asked.

"Only for a little. We walked around in the forest to get some fresh air." Kristoff paused, just now realizing what Elsa was wearing.

Elsa's dress was of a deep teal color, with intricate rosemaling on the bodice, collar and hem. A long, purple cape trailed gracefully behind her, and her hair was put up in an intricate bun._ "I saw another woman with the_ _same hairstyle in a portrait here. Maybe it's the hairstyle of_ _the_ _Queen?"_ Kristoff thought.

"You look. . . amazing," he spoke breathlessly.

With a half-smile, Elsa replied, "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"It was worth a try."

The two suddenly heard whispers a few feet away and turned to see two young ladies looking in their direction.

Elsa quickly looked down and started to wring her hands.

Kristoff's face grew hot, and he turned back to face Elsa.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching for her hands.

As soon as his fingers touched hers, Elsa quickly drew them away.

"Elsa?"

Elsa looked up to see hurt and confusion in Kristoff's eyes, causing her stomach to tighten.

"Kristoff, I. . . maybe we shouldn't be so public."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't think that I should tell everybody about us. Tonight. I just. . . don't want people to gossip about this tonight."

"Why does it matter what they think? Elsa, we love each other-"

"Kristoff," Elsa coldly cut him off. She bit her lip as she took in his wounded expression. "Please understand, I'm not trying to hurt you, I just. . . need to make a good impression on everyone. If people start gossiping about the princess and her 'romantic entanglements', how will the other kingdoms take me seriously?"

Kristoff stared at her as if he didn't recognize her. "So I'm just a romantic entanglement?" he coldly pronounced.

"No Kristoff, that's not what I meant, I just need-"

"To shut me out. Again."

Elsa gulped and started to play with the hem of her sleeve. "Kristoff, I-"

"No. I understand. I'll keep my distance. Your Highness." With that, Kristoff gave her a stiff bow and stoically walked away.

Elsa looked wistfully after him. She was brought back to attention when she realized that she had loosened a seam while absentmindedly playing with her sleeve.

She immediately dropped her hands, and pressed them together in front of her. She noticed a few snowflakes start to fall from the ceiling and shut her eyes tightly, in an attempt to calm herself down.

"Control yourself. Conceal it, don't feel it."

She tried to think of something, anything to distract her. She remembered the loose seam at the edge of her sleeve and thought of Anna.

She and Anna both shared the nervous habits of biting their lips and playing with their dresses when worried. Anna's dress had once gotten a completely frayed sleeve after they ate all of the chocolate in the castle while their parents were away.

Elsa smiled to herself and opened her eyes.

"Anna. . . it looks like I'm going to have to channel your energy and confidence if I'm going to make it through tonight," she whispered.

Elsa squared her shoulders, let out a sigh and walked forward to greet the nearest guests.

* * *

Hans walked through the crowd, taking in his surroundings.

"This place isn't half-bad."

When he neared the large double doors, he caught a glimpse of white. No, not white, light blonde?

As he got closer to the front of the receiving line, he was finally able to see Elsa. He blinked rapidly as if trying to determine whether the girl standing only a few feet away from him was real.

_"She really is the ice princess."_

Elsa's pale skin and white-blonde hair contrasted strongly with her striking blue eyes. She appeared to have been carefully crafted from the ice herself.

When he got to Elsa, he bowed deeply before her.

"Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, Your Majesty."

Elsa curtsied in return. "Welcome. I trust that all is fine with your father?"

Hans made his expression as sorrowful as he could. "Sadly, his condition has been getting worse."

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "I'm sorry to hear that, I hope that he'll be better soon." She gave him a polite smile.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Elsa blinked, surprised that someone had been able to see past her façade.

"I'm just tired, and worried, but I'll be fine. Please, enjoy yourself, don't worry about me."

Hans took her hand and placed a light kiss on top of it. When he looked back up at her, a pink flush had spread over her face.

"As you wish, my lady."

Hans walked away, fully confident that he had swept Elsa off of her feet.

_"I'm going to enjoy this night,"_ he smugly thought to himself.

* * *

Kristoff paced around Sven's stall, dressed in the suit that Elsa had made him wear.

"I shouldn't have been so cold and distant, I mean, I guess I can sort of understand what she meant. . ."

Sven looked up from where he lay on the floor of the stall, and gave him a disbelieving look.

"Okay, okay, so I probably don't." Kristoff sighed in frustration and kicked a small pile of hay near him.

"Ugh, but she can't keep closing herself off!"

He sat down next to Sven, absentmindedly twiddling thumbs.

_"But she's got a good reason. Just give her time to sort things out," _Kristoffspokefor Sven_._

Kristoff stared at the reindeer.

_"She cares about you, but she needs to put the needs of her kingdom before you. Before herself." _Kristoffcontinued on in Sven's voice.

Kristoff hung his head in his hands. "You're right, Sven. How could I be so stupid?!"

He stood up quickly, then tried to smooth his hair down while pushing the stall door open.

He looked back at Sven, who looked back up at him eagerly.

"Thanks buddy. I'm gonna go make this right."

_-snort-_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going!"

* * *

**It pains me to have Elsa and Kristoff fighting, and to have Hans try to sweet-talk her. D:**

**So close to the end of the school year! -gives an Anna squeal- **

**On a random note, I've been seeing these things on Youtube where people share their favorite Elsa voices, and I thought "Hey, I wanna do this too." If I wasn't so bad at using technology, I would have made a video. Well, here we are! (Please keep in mind that this is my personal opinion; everyone is entitled to agree or disagree).**

*** Top 10 (More like Top 16) Favorite Elsa Voices Based off of "Let it Go"***

**1\. Danish/Serbian/Greek (these sound absolutely amazing, especially in the last 50 seconds!)**

**2\. Japanese (you can hear how happy she is. :D)**

**3\. Taiwan Mandarin/ Icelandic (lacking some maturity, but I love them nevertheless. :D)**

**4\. Norwegian/English **

**5\. Estonian**

**6\. Italian (AMAZING!)**

**7\. Swedish**

**8\. French**

**9\. German/Dutch**

**10\. Turkish/Korean**

**I know, I know. I put multiple versions for one spot, but I just can't pick one for each spot! D: **

**What are your guys' Top 10? :D**

**Next update will be on Thursday! **


	26. Chapter 25

**I'm finally free for the summer! :D**

**Prettyprincess45 and Belmont9: Thank you! :D**

**Asteroth1: Aw, thank you for those kind words. :,D Yeah, throughout this whole story I've been all "I can't make it all cavity-inducing sweet", haha. :p**

**The plot thickens. . . :D**

* * *

"Princess Elsa of Arendelle!"

Elsa walked into the Great Hall and stopped in front of the thrones, her long cape trailing behind her.

The crowd of people bowed and curtsied to her, then started to applaud.

Elsa smiled serenely at the people, her hands folded in front of her.

"Thank you all for coming. I'm honored to have all of you here to celebrate my coronation with me. Please, enjoy yourselves!"

Music started to play from a group of men in a corner of the room, drawing couples to the center of the floor for a dance.

People started to line up in front of Elsa to pay their respects.

After an hour had passed by, Kai walked over to Elsa until he was close to her, but still a respectable distance away. He cleared his throat loudly, bringing the music and dancers to a halt.

"It has just turned midnight. Princess Elsa is now twenty-one years of age!"

Everyone looked to Elsa and applauded, while Elsa shyly smiled back. After everyone returned to what they had been doing, Elsa scanned the room for one face in particular. When she couldn't spot Kristoff anywhere, her smile faltered, but only for a second.

"Conceal it, put on a show," she murmured to herself.

Suddenly, she saw a figure clad in white appear in her peripheral vision.

She turned to her right to see Hans there, hand politely outstretched. "May I have the honor of joining you in a dance, Your Majesty?"

"Oh, I rarely dance, and not very well. Thank you, but I can't," Elsa nervously replied.

"I don't believe that. A lady as beautiful as you must be an extraordinary dancer."

Elsa gave a light laugh, and placed her hand over his. "Fine, one dance."

The music changed to accompany a regal waltz as Elsa and Hans got into dance position. Hans gracefully led Elsa as they danced effortlessly along with the music.

"Congratulations on your twenty-first birthday, my lady."

"Thank you." Elsa sighed. "This is going to be an important year."

"Indeed."

"Prince Hans. . . is it a troubling task? Running the kingdom in your father's place?" Elsa asked in a whisper.

Hans blinked, taken aback by Elsa's question. "Well. . . yes. But one simply needs a strong authority and the faith of the people to rule with ease." Hans continued in his thoughts, _"Although who really needs the support of the people when you have limitless power?" _

Elsa gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean by 'strong authority'? As in. . . forcing your will upon others?"

"In a way, yes."

"I. . . I don't think I could ever do that. I want to be a caring and gentle ruler, one that my people don't have to fear."

Hans scoffed to himself. _"Such a naïve little girl," _he thought.

"Sometimes, we must do what is necessary to keep the peace, Princess."

Elsa bit her lip, caught between the advice of her father's and Hans'.

"Princess, if Arendelle is ever in any need of help, the Southern Isles is always obliged to assist you."

Elsa looked into Hans's eyes and saw only kindness and sympathy in those emerald-green pools.

"Thank you, Prince Hans. I appreciate your help." She gave him a grateful smile.

Hans could only stare at her radiant face before pulling himself together. "Oh. . . you're welcome, my lady." To himself, he thought,_ "Get it together! You're here for the throne, not to be tempted by such an innocent girl!" _

The music ended, signaling the end of the dance. Hans and Elsa parted, only to bow and curtsy to each other.

"You're a magnificent dancer. It was a pleasure, Your Majesty."

"The pleasure is mine, Prince Hans."

"May I hope to have another dance with you later on in the night?"

"I. . . I'll have to see."

"Very well." With a deep bow, Hans started to leave. He swiftly turned back around and gave Elsa a grin. "I hope your night goes well, Princess Elsa." He turned and walked over to a group of men at the other end of the room.

Elsa wasn't sure what to think of Hans. _"He's polite and confident, but. . . a bit arrogant at times. . ."_

She shook her head and started to walk back to the head of the room. "_I'm just being paranoid. I'm sure that he is a pleasant young man." _

At that moment, she saw Kristoff walk into the room, frantically looking around.

"Kristoff?"

Hans looked over to where Elsa stood, only to see Kristoff walk over to her.

_"That Kristoffer. . ." _He hastily excused himself to the people he was talking to and walked over to the farthest corner of the room, behind a pillar.

"Elsa, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad and run off like that, I-"

"No, Kristoff. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I'm sorry, my behavior was inexcusable. You were right, I pushed you away, again. I was under a lot of stress, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Can you forgive me?" Elsa pleadingly whispered.

"Elsa, there's nothing to forgive. Don't worry. We both said and did things we shouldn't have. Let's just let go of the pain of the past. We don't have to worry about it anymore."

Elsa let out a deep sigh and gave him a timid smile. "Okay."

Kristoff gave her a cheery half-grin, the smile that she loved best on him, and offered her his arm. "May I have a dance?"

Elsa took his arm with a dazzling smile. "For you, always."

The two walked to the center of the floor as a lively tune started up.

Kristoff struggled with not tripping over his feet while Elsa laughed and led him through the dance with ease.

Hans continued to watch them from behind the pillar, eyes narrowed as he watched the two laughing merrily while they danced.

_"Soon. Soon I will be the King of Arendelle. Will I be your favorite then, Father?" _

* * *

**Hans is one sneaky dude. **

**Things will finally start to heat up in the next chapter, the moment I've agonizingly been waiting for! **

**Next update will be on Sunday, I'm going to be a bit busy for the next couple of days. But after Sunday, we will be back on the "every other day" schedule! (I don't think that's the correct term, but whatever, haha.)**

**Until Sunday! :D**


	27. Chapter 26

**Helloooo there again! ^_^**

**Belmont9****: Thank you! It was definitely a struggle at first to not make her too sad or too giggly, but I've been trying to incorporate little things that she does in the movie. :) **

**Asteroth1****: There will be a lot more between them. :D She's a great dancer (probably included in the education of a princess, haha :p), and I think that she would have draped the end of her cape over her arm so as not to trip over it. :)**

**Prettyprincess45****: Yes he is! :D Aw, thank you! :)**

**Kairi-Elsa****: No problem! I hope everything goes well with whatever you have to do. :D **

**Ooh, interesting rankings. :D**

**Yay for discovered passwords! :D Haha, aw thanks sweetie! :)**

**Here's Chapter 26!**

* * *

"Tomorrow's your coronation day. Well, okay, technically today is. Are you ready?" Kristoff asked.

"I believe so. I'm ready to take my place as protector of Arendelle, as my father did before me," Elsa confidently replied.

"He would have been proud of you."

Elsa tried to speak, but couldn't form any words. She stopped in the middle of the dance; her eyes started to tear up.

"Shoot, I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm sorry, Elsa, I-I'll just. . . umm. . ." Kristoff hastily muttered.

Elsa gave a small shake of her head and moved her hand from where it had rested on Kristoff's shoulder to his arm. "Kristoff, that was the greatest compliment that I have ever received. That was always one of my wishes: to make my father proud of me."

"What are your other wishes?" Kristoff curiously asked.

"To fully understand and control this. . . power. To be able to care for all of Arendelle, and. . . to always keep a part of my family with me. Especially my sister."

Her sister. Kristoff's heartbeat started to quicken._ "I need to tell her. Come on, do it!" _he yelled to himself.

"Elsa, I need to-"

"Princess Elsa!"

Kristoff and Elsa separated themselves and turned towards the source of the voice. A short man with spectacles and a receding hairline was approaching them. When he reached them, he gave a low bow, revealing that his hair was in fact, a toupee.

Kristoff gave a small snort while Elsa quickly hid her smile with her hand and snuck a knowing glance at Kristoff.

"I am the Duke of Weselton. Congratulations on your twenty-first birthday."

"Thank you."

"I'd like to talk to you about affairs pertaining to trade between Arendelle and Weselton. Of course, you surely want to renew the agreement that your father didn't have, erm, a chance to renew?"

Elsa gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded along as he continued. Her father had been meaning to end the trade agreement with Weselton, but didn't have the chance to send his response before he had died. _"The_ _Duke of Weselton is a shrewd man, and will do anything to ensure hos own safety before that of the people. Be wary of him, Elsa,"_ he had told her.

Elsa faced Kristoff. "Excuse me, do you mind if I leave to discuss matters with the Duke?" she politely asked.

"Of course not, Princess." With a nod towards the Duke, Kristoff wandered over to a corner of the room.

"Princess Elsa, I believe that it would be best for both of us if we returned to the agreement set during your father's reign."

"I'm sorry. Arendelle has been trading with the Southern Isles for many years now, and has benefited largely from this exchange. I will not be returning to policies held before the gates were closed."

"Ah yes, the gates. Why did you close them?" The Duke came closer, one eyebrow raised.

"I. . . that is a topic that I would like to save for another time. Thank you for coming. I must attend to the other guests now." With a curt nod, Elsa walked away. The Duke stared suspiciously at her for a moment, then went to go join a group of men.

As Elsa walked through the crowd, she noticed that Kristoff stayed out of sight behind other people, eyes down, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Prince Hans, are you enjoying your stay?" she asked as she came across him once again.

"Yes, Your Highness. Did you return for another dance?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"Of course." Elsa politely took his arm.

"Pardon me, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the Duke."

"Oh yes, about trade."

"Yes. I'm honored that you have so much trust in the Southern Isles. Our kingdoms have become quite close over the years, haven't they?"

"Indeed." Elsa was getting tired of all this talk of trading, and fought back a yawn.

"Perhaps they may. . . become even closer?"

Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Hans stopped dancing, bringing her abruptly to a halt.

"Princess Elsa, will you marry me?"

Elsa's eyes widened in shock and she quickly let go of him. "I-I'm so sorry, I. . . I must decline."

"But why? We're already two strong kingdoms bonded by business, why not also by marriage?"

"I'm sorry, Prince Hans, but I only met you today. Also, I've only recently started to get out of my mourning period. I don't think I could rush into a marriage at this moment, especially one not made for love."

"We could learn to love each other, eventually."

"I'm sorry, I. . . I can't."

Hans gave her a contemplative look. "You really did love your family, didn't you, Your Majesty?"

Elsa lowered her eyes. "More than anything else. . ." she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Princess, there's been something that I've been meaning to tell you. About your family. . ."

Elsa's eyes flashed back up to meet his. "Yes?" she hopefully whispered.

"We had previously thought that your family had been lost at sea. However, a couple of months ago, we discovered that a man had murdered them."

Elsa took a shaky step backwards. "No, that. . . that can't be. . ."

"My men found them in an old house in the depth of the woods, and imprisoned the man. He seemed to have no real motive, except for an obsession with the monarchy. It seems that he was deranged, and was planning on becoming rich by blackmailing you."

Elsa could only stare unblinkingly at Hans.

Hans took in a deep breath. "He escaped, about a month ago. I'm sorry, Your Highness, but we haven't been able to find him." He reached for Elsa's hand in an attempt to comfort her, but she backed away, slowly shaking her head.

"Princess, I promise that I will do whatever I can to being this man to justice. I-" Hans paused. "That's. . . that's him." He pointed to someone behind Elsa.

Elsa slowly turned around, not sure of what she would do once she saw the face of the man who had killed her family.

When she saw who it was, she brought her hands to her chest as if to protect herself. "Kristoff. . ."

As if he could hear her, Kristoff looked up from where he had been staring at his shoes. He saw Elsa's frightened face staring at him from across the room, as if she didn't recognize him.

"Elsa? What-" Kristoff started to walk towards her when he noticed who stood behind her.

"No. . ."

* * *

**-cues intense dramatic music-**

**Well, hope you guys enjoyed this! :D**

**Next update will be on Tuesday or Wednesday. :)**


	28. Chapter 27

**Hello there my summer flowers! (Can you tell that I am just ecstatic about summer vacation? :p)**

**Asteroth1: Bwahahaha, good. . . haha, just kidding. :p**

**Belmont9: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you! :D**

**taylorjago: I thought I sort of made it clear in the early chapters, but still, thanks for the feedback! :D That twist killed me; I came up with multiple lies for Hans to tell Elsa until I got this one. Thank you. :D**

**Prettyprincess45: Indeed! :D And more you shall have! :D**

* * *

"Elsa, I can explain!"

"Explain? Kristoff you. . . killed my family?" Elsa whispered in horror.

"Wait, what?! No! I-I didn't! I was imprisoned by Prince Hans, who offered me my freedom if I. . . if I killed you."

Elsa flinched at this, while a hint of a smile could be seen tugging at the corners of Hans' lips.

"But you changed my mind, Elsa! Once I got to know you, I realized that I couldn't kill you. Please, believe me, I don't know what he told you." Here, Kristoff glared at Hans for a second before looking back at Elsa. "Please, you have to believe me."

"I. . . I don't know what to believe anymore," Elsa murmured.

"Please, Elsa. You know me, I-"

"No. I don't know you anymore."

Kristoff flinched at her words. "Elsa, I-"

"My former self would have believed you if you had told me this long ago. But now, I. . . you were so secretive, there was something that you weren't telling me. Was all of this a lie? Were you really coming here to kill me since you had already gotten my family?"

"No! Please, Elsa! He's setting me up!"

Elsa could only stare at him, fear widening her crystalline eyes.

Kristoff reached for her hand, but she pushed him away.

"No, I-I. . . you killed my family?!"

"No, I didn't!"

"I can't trust you anymore. . . what. . . why? And you just killed them? Then you came here, to collect your 'prize'? You couldn't even make up a decent story! Why would Prince Hans want to have me killed? Our kingdoms are flourishing because of their bond!"

By now, Elsa's voice had attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

"Elsa, you have to listen to me! He has your family locked up-"

Elsa gave a short, cold laugh, one that chilled Kristoff to the bone. "Kristoff, your story is getting more and more preposterous!"

"You have to believe me! I care about you!"

Elsa's hands dropped to her sides, clenched into fists. "What kind of a. . . a monster would be so manipulative?! You never cared for me, apparently you only cared for the riches of Arendelle! I trusted you! You killed my family, and then you got me to trust you! To care for you! What kind of a person does that?!"

"Elsa!" Kristoff once again tried to reach for Elsa's hand.

This time, she thrust it behind her in an attempt to keep it away from him. However, her emotions had gotten the best of her.

With her anger, her power had created spikes of ice behind her, causing people to jump back in surprise and fear.

As soon as Elsa saw the spikes, she gathered her hands back against herself, trying to keep the ice inside of her.

Hans stared at her, half-hidden behind the wall of ice. He was frozen in place in shock at witnessing the use of her powers.

"Sorceress! She's a monster!" the Duke of Weselton yelled.

"No! She's not!" Kristoff yelled. "Elsa, you can control this! Just-"

"No! Stay away from me!" Elsa yelled shakily. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she backed up, trying to reach the door.

"Your Majesty!" Kai rushed forward. "The boy is right, you can control it, just as your father believed! Think of your father's words."

Elsa's bottom lip trembled as she whispered, "I am. Always. I-I need to get away from here." She opened the door behind her and ran out into the courtyard.

The large group of people in the courtyard startled Elsa, bringing her to an abrupt halt. As soon as they saw her, they started to applaud. "The Princess!"

Elsa stood there in shock until she felt someone grab her hand. She quickly pulled back her hand and turned to see Kristoff there, hands raised to show her that he meant no harm.

"Please, leave me alone!" Elsa gathered her skirts in her hands, preparing to run when she noticed that her dress started to frost over where her hands were.

The people stared at her hands in shock.

Elsa raised her hands, trying to reassure them. "It's fine, I won't harm any of you-" At that moment, a burst of ice shot against Elsa's will, barely missing a few heads and hitting a pillar.

The Duke appeared behind Kristoff. "Get her! She's dangerous!"

The people were petrified. Many of them had been there when Elsa had revealed her powers to the kingdom. They were scared of this dangerous girl who had replaced the image of the peaceful snow princess in their minds.

The crowd started to slowly back away from Elsa. She stared back at them, eyes full of anguish. How could things have changed so quickly?

She heard Kristoff behind her yelling at the Duke, but her frantic mind couldn't make out any words.

Elsa looked back at Kristoff. She saw Prince Hans standing behind him and the Duke. The Prince must have been quietly watching everything.

"No, he's right. I'm a danger to Arendelle. I'm sorry." Elsa ran off towards the gates.

"No, Elsa!" Kristoff yelled.

The crowd gasped as they noticed the ground under Elsa's feet start to change. Wherever she stepped, she left behind a newly-frosted over patch of ground.

After Elsa crossed the bridge, she quickly stomped her foot down. The ground around her was soon covered with a thick layer of ice, and started to spread back towards the castle.

With one last glance at her home, she saw Kristoff stop at the gates as the ice reached him, causing him to slip and almost fall onto the floor.

Snowflakes had started to slowly fall as dark clouds appeared.

Tears fell from Elsa's eyes. With a shudder, she continued to run, this time towards the depths of the forest.

* * *

"It's snowing!"

"Snow in July?"

Kristoff stared after Elsa's retreating figure. "This is all my fault. I should have told her the truth before that snake fed her lies," he disgustedly thought to himself

Suddenly, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. "You're coming with me," Hans growled.

Kristoff struggled to break free, to no avail.

"Prince Hans!" Kai ran up to them. "Is he really the one responsible for the deaths of the royal family?" he implored.

"Are you questioning my judgement?"

"No sir. I've just gotten to know the boy over the past week and a half or so, and find it hard to believe that he could have done such a thing."

Hans narrowed his eyes. "Then he has fooled you too. I shall send him back to the Southern Isles. Unless you would like to question my judgement some more."

Kai stared stoically back at him. "No, sir," he coldly pronounced. As Hans led Kristoff to the docks, Kai stared uneasily after them.

A man from Hans' boat spotted them and met the halfway. "Your Majesty! What do you require?"

"Take him back to the dungeons. Quickly. Don't be afraid to rough him up a little." Hans shoved Kristoff to the man.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Kristoff glared at Hans. "Stay away from her."

Hans smirked. "What will you do? Come after me? Besides, she's already wandered unknowingly into my trap."

* * *

**I swear, I typed "Hand" instead of Hans like, 8 times. -_- I was looking back and going, "Who the hell is Prince Hand?" Yay for proofreading. :D (I actually hate proofreading. I dunno why, I guess I just can't stand looking over my stuff multiple times. Anyone else who's like that?)**

**Next update will be on Friday!**


	29. Chapter 28

**Helllloooooo again! **

**Asteroth1: Haha, thank you! :D Hans is definitely the most fun for me to write (although Anna and Elsa are my overall favorites). I'm always wanting to make him more evil, but not so evil that it's like "woah, even for him that's too far". If that makes any sense. :p**

**Prettyprincess45: Same here! I'm just like "this is good, I think. Just post it, hurry hurry hurry." :p Don't worry, Hans will be getting a butt-whooping from multiple people. :p Aww, thank you! :D I swear, you're going to kill me with kindness. *blushes***

**taylorjago: Haha, I loved this! :D I already had a few things brewing in my mind, but I'll take this into consideration. :)**

* * *

Elsa trudged through the soft snow as flurries of it flew past her, ruffling her hair and the edge of dress. She had ran through the forest, looking for a place that would both shelter and hide her. When she saw the tip of a mountain poking through the trees, she knew where to go.

The North Mountain was known for its steepness, therefore it was never visited by the townspeople.

A rock hidden in the snow caused Elsa to stumble and fall to her knees.

With a whimper. Elsa buried her head in her hands and began to cry.

After a few minutes of sobbing, Elsa looked up and clumsily wiped the tears from her eyes.

Her family. . . not taken by the cold, unforgiving sea, but by the hands of a lunatic.

"How could I have been so stupid?!" Elsa yelled.

She began to breathe in deep, shaking breaths.

"I wasn't strong. I let myself be blinded by what I thought was love. I was so desperate to be loved that I clung to him, recklessly! Even now, I still miss him, what should have been! I should have known! I should have known. . ."

Elsa's voice trailed off as her strength started to fade. The snow looked so soft and comforting. She wanted to sleep under a blanket of it forever. Away from the terrified eyes of the people she had tried to protect, from princes and dukes who pestered her about trade, from a kind, young man who had charmed his way to her side. A man that she still cared for, against the protests of her conscience.

With a shaky hand, she gathered a handful of the snowy powder, playing with it in her hand.

"Papa, I'm sorry. I couldn't control it. I'm sorry, I've disappointed you."

Elsa let out a ragged breath and looked up at the sky where a blizzard was beginning to form. When she had left Arendelle, there had only been a slight dusting of snowflakes on the ground. At least her people were safe.

She started to sing to herself, attempting to ease the pain.

_"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen._

_A kingdom of isolation, down there I would have been Queen._

_The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside._

_Couldn't keep it in, Heaven knows I've tried."_

Elsa slowly stood up, a new resolve forming in her. She would master her powers before ever returning to Arendelle, to keep the people safe from her. "Papa, I will be the girl that you were determined I would become."

_"Conceal, don't feel! Don't let them know. . . well now they know!" _With that, Elsa threw her hands up, resulting in a sudden sprinkling of snow.

_"Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore!_

_Let it go! Let it go! Turn away and slam the door!_

_I don't care what they're going to say!" _

As Elsa sang, she created sudden bursts and flurries of snow with ease.

_"Let the storm rage on. . . the cold never bothered me anyway."_ Elsa suddenly undid the brooch that held the cape to her dress, smiling as she watched it fly away with the wind.

_"It's funny how some distance makes everything so small._

_And the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all!"_

Elsa started to run up the mountain.

_"It's time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through! Never knowing who I could be, I'm free!"_

Elsa thrust her arms put in front of her, creating a staircase made of snow, and turned it to solid ice with a single step.

She started to run gleefully up the stairs, arms stretched out as if to embrace the sky.

_"Let it go! Let it go! I am one with the wind and sky!"_

At the top of the stairs, she looked around at the emptiness around her, a sudden fierceness appearing in her.

_"Let it go! Let it go! You'll never see me cry!"_

With a triumphant stomp, Elsa created a large snowflake pattern on the ground.

_"Here I stand! And here I'll stay! Let the storm rage on. . ."_

Biting her lip in concentration, Elsa slowly raised her hands, revealing the snowflake as a base for a building. As she rose higher and higher, Elsa made walls and designs with effortlessly graceful motions. She suddenly brought her arms down, completing the walls.

_"My power flurries through the air into the ground!" _

With a sweep of her arm, frost started to climb up the walls, forming an intricately detailed ceiling.

_"My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around! And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast!"_

A chandelier with a geometric design suddenly appeared from the center of the ceiling, slowly expanding to reveal its complexity.

Elsa looked out towards the balcony she had included in her ice castle, determination burning brightly in her eyes.

_"Now there's no turning back! The past is in the past!" s_he sang with unrestrained joy.

_"Let it go! Let it go! And I'll rise like the break of dawn!_

_Let it go! Let it go! That perfect girl is gone!"_

In a matter of seconds, Elsa had undone her bun, letting loose a more casual French braid. She had frozen over the bottom of her dress and let the frost encase all of it, leaving behind a light, ice-blue dress with an airy cape trailing behind her. Even her shoes had been affected, changing from black slippers to beautiful heels made of ice.

Elsa walked out onto the balcony, arms outstretched, singing happily into the cold air as the sun rose.

_"Here I stand, in the light of day! Let the storm rage on!"_

Elsa wouldn't let her former fears control her anymore. She would embrace herself, powers and all. She wouldn't let her judgement be clouded by a need to be loved anymore. _"I've got my family's love. That's all I need. With them, I'm never alone,"_ she thought to herself. With a smile, she quietly spoke, "The cold never bothered me anyway."

* * *

**Ta da! The Snow Queen has appeared! :D**

*** Quick Disclaimer! I don't own "Let it Go", all rights go to Disney. I merely made some changes to try to make it fit this story since this story is different from the movie. * **

**Elsa seems a bit like Anna here. After the loss of her family, she wanted to feel love again, just like how in the movie Anna lost her parents and Elsa shut her out, leading to her intense wanting to be loved again. **

**One reason why I love the Japanese version of "Let it Go" is the translation at "and I'll rise like the break of dawn." In the Japanese version, it's actually "I'm starting to like myself," which I think really resonates with the Elsa in this story. :)**

**I'm starting to get a bit of writer's block again, so updates might be a bit slow to come. D:**

**Next update will be on Sunday! **


	30. Chapter 29

**Hello there! We're almost in July! Summer is going by too quickly. D:**

**Asteroth1: At first, Elsa was just shocked to hear that her family had died at someone's hands instead of by nature. When Hans told her that it was Kristoff, she was still in shock but now in disbelief. The breaking point was when Kristoff said 'I can explain'; she got really mad at the fact that it seemed he could rationalize killing her family (even though we know he didn't). Her temper got out of control, like past the point of rational thinking. She was so mad that she couldn't even listen to him anymore, and saw him as the madman Hans had described, :( But don't worry, things will turn up for them. :D**

**Belmont9: Thank you lovely! :D**

**rspringb: Hey there! Thanks! :D**

* * *

All was quiet in the dungeons of the Southern Isles. The Queen stared at Anna, eyes full of concern, as she sat next to her snoring husband.

"Anna, is everything alright?"

Anna held a roll of crusty bread in her hand, staring at it intently. "If I try hard enough, I can pretend that this bread is chocolate."

The Queen gave her a tiny smile full of amusement and moved over to where she sat.

Anna continued to stare at the bread, then suddenly closed her eyes.

"Happy birthday, Elsa," she whispered, as if making a wish.

She took a bite out of the roll, then quick made a face and swallowed the food.

"Nope. No matter how hard I try, I can't make stale bread taste good."

"Would you like my apple?"

"No, Mama, I can't-"

"Please, Anna. Take it. You meed it more than I do. You're a growing young lady." The Queen took an apple out of her pocket and placed it firmly in Anna's hand.

Anna held it in her palm, hesitatingly observing it. She started to move it around between her hands.

"Do you think Hans will become King?" she asked in a tremulous voice.

The Queen gave a soft sigh. "I don't know. Elsa's strength will be tested. We can only hope that he won't threaten her with hurting us. Your sister has always been selfless, but that admirable trait may end up harming her in this case."

"Elsa was born to be Queen. I mean, I also mean literally, but I could always tell that she would be a great Queen, whether she got the throne or not."

After a moment of silence, Anna spoke up. "Mama, what'll happen when we get back?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, who will be Queen? You or Elsa? Can there be two?" she curiously asked.

The Queen didn't respond.

"Mama? Are you okay?" Anna worriedly turned to face her mother.

"I'm fine. I just. . . don't think that I will return home," the Queen whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Wait, what? What do you mean?!" Anna sat up, eyes expanded in alarm.

"I've grown old and tired here. I'm not nearly as healthy as I used to be, and even then, my constitution has always been weak. Anna, you must promise me something."

Anna stared unblinkingly at her mother, hanging onto every word.

"Anna. My dear, sweet, fearless daughter. I know that you will make it out of here. Your fighting spirit will ensure your freedom. But I'm so tired, and so cold all of the time. Your father's health is also starting to fail. I don't want you two to waste away in here. Promise me, that if a chance ever appears, you will get yourself and your father safely home."

"Mama," Anna sobbed out.

"Promise me." Tears started to slowly stream down the Queen's face. She tried to put on a smile in an attempt to comfort her daughter, but t soon crumpled. She fought back a sob, but a small squeak escaped from her.

Anna dropped her apple and embraced her mother, holding onto her tightly while sobbing. The Queen quietly let go of the tears that she had kept inside for so long so as not to frighten her daughter. It was too late for that now.

Anna was suddenly aware of her mother's terrifying skinniness. She had always been slender, but it was almost as if Anna were hugging the air.

"Take care of your father. Tell Elsa that I love her, and that I am very proud of her. I'll always be proud of her. Of both of you."

The Queen pulled back and cradled Anna's face gently in her hands.

With heaving gasps, Anna stared back into her mother's gray-blue eyes. Eyes that had lost their glimmer a long time ago.

"No, I won't leave you here. We can all go back, together!" Anna breathlessly cried out.

"No, Anna. I'll only slow you both down. Your father will be of more use to Elsa and the kingdom than I."

"It's not about who's of more use, we're family! Elsa needs you! She needs all of us, together!"

"Anna."

The Queen waited until Anna's gasps started to quiet down.

"Sweetheart, my health is fading. You know this to be true, don't try to convince me otherwise. Make sure that you and your father make it to Arendelle safely. I'm relying on you, Anna. Please. Let me do this to save you, to save what's left of our family."

Anna bit her lip in frustration and closed her eyes. When she opened them, although they still shone with tears, they also shone with resolve. "Okay. I promise. But I'm not giving up on you."

Her mother gave her a sad smile, as if she had expected this response, and pulled her back into a hug.

As Anna clung to her mother, the Queen slowly stroked her daughter's hair, like she used to do when Anna was woken up by nightmares as a child.

"I love you, Anna. I always will."

* * *

**I loved writing this so much. :,) Sorry for the shorter chapter. D:**

**Okay, since I did a "Top Ten Voices" for Elsa, it seems only right that I also do one for Anna. :D**

**Top Fifteen (Because last time I did this sort of thing, I discovered that I cannot restrict myself to just ten) for Anna based off of "For the First Time in Forever"**

**1\. Japanese (I always end up singing along to this version in my head. :D)**

**2\. English (Kristen Bell! :D)**

**3\. Hungarian**

**4\. Flemish**

**5\. Canadian French (love how it's titled "Le Renouveau", or "The Renewal".)**

**6\. Norwegian**

**7\. Icelandic (love the tomboyish Anna. :D)**

**8\. Swedish (another tomboyish Anna. :D)**

**9\. Catalan**

**10\. Slovak (really love this one, no idea why.)**

**11\. Malay**

**12\. Serbian (ohmygod that ending note!)**

**13\. Finnish**

**14\. French**

**15\. Latvian**

**What are your top Anna voices? :D**

**Next update will be on Tuesday or Wednesday!**


	31. Chapter 30

**Hey there!**

**Asteroth1: Nothing's set in stone yet, my friend! :) Thank you. :,D**

**Prince Ajax: Haha, I just pictured Nicholas Cage blasting through the walls of the dungeon with a helicopter waiting for them. :p Thank you for that comment, sir. :D**

**Prettyprincess45: No need to apologize! :) Thank you again! :D Interesting, we have some common favorites. :D**

* * *

Hans hated the forest with a passion. As he traveled through the woods on horseback in search of Elsa, this fact became more and more apparent.

"Stupid roots and rocks," he mumbled to himself.

About twenty men, including Hans, had left early in the morning to go search for the runaway princess.

The Duke of Weselton had protested the night before, claiming that Arendelle shouldn't waste its supplies in tracking down a witch. Most people were still in shock, while some stood firmly by the Princess.

It was only until former Mayor Elefsen had spoken up that order was restored. The tall, grating man addressed the crowd, nobles and townspeople alike. "Princess Elsa's powers are nothing to be scared of. She's never willingly used them to harm others, and she never will. We must bring her back, not only for her safety and the safety of the kingdom, but for the former King. We owe it to King Agdar and Queen Idun to keep their daughter safe."

The people who had been fearful of Elsa and had thought her a freakish anomaly were soon shamed.

Mayor Elefsen turned to Hans. "Prince Hans, as Arendelle's closest ally, we place you as protector until the return of Princess Elsa."

Hans had bowed to show his gratitude, and fought to keep a grin off of his face. _"They're practically handing the_ _kingdom over to me!"_ The people clearly hadn't heard his exchange between Kai, otherwise they wouldn't look to him for guidance.

Hans spoke to them all. "If you are feeling uneasy about your stay here, feel free to leave." No one moved, although the Duke fidgeted a bit. "I will need volunteers to look for Princess Elsa. As soon as the sun rises, we shall head out in different directions, so as to cover more ground. We shall meet back here at the end of the day, regardless of whether we find the princess or not If we do not find her, we will have to extend the length of our trips into the forest. Is that clear?"

Everyone had nodded in agreement, and some men walked forward to offer their services. The Duke of Weselton huffed to himself and stomped back into the castle.

"Mayor Elefsen," Hans called out. "I will be leaving with the search party. I trust Arendelle will be safe in your hands."

"Yes, sir. Everything will be fine here."

Now that Hans was actually wandering through the woods, he looked back on that decision in disgust. "I wish I had stayed, then I wouldn't have to be traipsing through some forest for some girl, regardless of her beauty. But then, as father used to say, 'the people will follow a ruler who acts instead of throwing around distinguished words.' I just wish I were doing something, anything other than this."

With a sigh, Hans urged the horse to go faster. "Come on, it's only morning and I'm already tired of this."

* * *

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what, Anna?"

"Someone's coming downstairs."

Anna stood up, awaiting the return of Hans. "When I see his face, I swear, I'll punch him right in his 'oh-so-perfect' nose. . ."

Her sentence trailed off once she saw that it was only a couple of guards dragging a blond, worn-out man with them.

"Where do we put him?" one guard asked.

"Byrnjolf said all of them are full. Just throw him in one, it doesn't matter," the other replied.

A guard opened the door of the royal family's cell, and threw the man onto the floor. They quickly locked the door and returned upstairs.

As soon as they left, Anna knelt down next to the stranger. "Sir? Are you. . . alright?" she tentatively asked.

She lightly poked his shoulder, but the man didn't wake.

"Anna, don't harm him," the King said.

"He's asleep, he can't possibly feel this," she whispered.

"Dreams are a place of safety and comfort. For all we know, he could be aware of all of this right now. Leave him alone."

The man's eyes flashed open, causing Anna to jump in surprise. He tried to roll onto his side, but groaned, closing his eyes in an attempt to shut out the pain.

"Are you okay? I can roll you over if you'd like. . . I think," Anna offered.

The King let go of his wife's hand while she slept, and went over to where Anna knelt, squatting down beside her.

"On three. One, two, three!" the King spoke.

Both of them managed to roll the man over so that he was lying on his back. He let out a large exhale, squeezing his eyes tightly together.

"You're fine now, don't worry." Anna's chirpy voice brought the man to attention. He slowly opened his eyes in confusion.

At first, he wasn't able to see much due to the immense amount of light that greeted his eyes. After a few seconds of adjusting to the brightness, he saw an older man and a young lady watching over him.

That's when he noticed the eyes. Eyes almost like Elsa's. They were very similar, but not exactly the same. These had more of a slight blue-green color to them. "What?" he mumbled.

He then noticed her strange strawberry-blonde hair. Surely he had seen this girl before. . . in the dungeons of the Southern Isles! Was she. . . Anna?

He tried to sit up, but the King gently pushed him back down. "Rest, there's no need to exert yourself."

The man's eyes darted between both faces. He tried to talk, but could only manage a whisper.

"Really, you need to rest," Anna told him.

"Are you. . . Anna?" he whispered.

Anna turned to her father, confusion and fear in her eyes. "Papa, this man knows me, but I've never met him before."

The King looked down at the man with a serious expression on his face. "What's your name, sir? And how do you know my daughter?"

"I'm Kristoff," the man barely managed to get out. "I know her through Elsa. . ."

"Elsa?! Is she okay?!" Anna shook Kristoff's shoulders in a rush of excitement.

Kristoff grimaced, causing Anna to quickly let go of him. "Oops, sorry. Do you want to sit up?" she asked with a wide grin.

"Yes, please."

Anna and the King managed to prop Kristoff up between them.

"Wait!" Anna rushed over to where her mother lay peacefully sleeping and gently shook her shoulder. "Mama, wake up! There's hope for Elsa!"

The Queen groggily got up, still half-asleep. Aided by Anna, she walked over to where the others sat on the floor.

"Mama, this man knows Elsa."

The Queen's eyes blinked rapidly in surprise, and she knelt down next to the men, now fully awake, with Anna following her example.

"With hope in her eyes, she breathlessly asked Kristoff, "Is my daughter safe?"

Kristoff couldn't help but stare at this woman who looked so much like Elsa. Not just because of the hairstyle, which he remembered Elsa having worn at the coronation ball, but the intense brightness in her eyes. Elsa's eyes often had the same shine to them, his favorite part about her.

Kristoff wanted to put the Queen at ease, but knew that she deserved to hear the truth, before it was too late. He's already made the mistake of not doing that before.

In a dejected whisper, he replied, "I don't know."

* * *

**Yay, Kristoff finally meets Elsa's family! Although it is in a cell, but nevertheless, he got to meet them! Hopefully, this will raise their, spirits, especially the Queen's. :)**

**Next update will be on Thursday! **


	32. Chapter 31

**Hello there!**

**Asteroth1: Haha, I'm glad you're enjoying Hans' misery. :p Well, wait no longer! :D**

**Prince Ajax: Of course, how could I have been so foolish? :p You are one interesting character, thumbs up to you sir. :D**

**Kairi-Elsa: Thank you! :D Haha, proofreading is hell. D,: I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much. :D**

**Keep Calm and Freeze On: HERE'S YOUR UPDATE! :D :D**

**Just wanted to give you all a big thank you for 10,000 views! This story has 10,000 views, all thanks to you guys! :D *virtual hug* Thank you all for visiting this story, and for your compliments and criticisms. :) This is seriously amazing; I had hoped for 5 views at the most when I first started this, and I never dreamed that it would get 10,000. This is crazy; I love you all so much you sweethearts. :,) Thank you all. :D**

**This chapter will be a bit longer than usual, as my way of saying thanks, and also because I will be gone for about 4 days for some family stuff. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

The Queen's shoulders sagged in response to Kristoff's reply. Anna scooted closer to her mother, and wrapped her arms around the Queen's shoulders.

"How was she? The last time you saw her?" the King asked.

"She was. . . scared. It was all my fault. I tried to hide the truth from her, and then that Prince Hans. . ." Kristoff angrily muttered.

"Wait, I have seen you before!" Anna exclaimed. "It was here, and Hans was escorting you out. . . wait. What were you doing with him?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"He promised me my freedom if I. . . killed Elsa."

Anna flinched in response, while the Queen brought her hands to her mouth, eyebrows drawn together in worry for her eldest. Only the King remained still, although his eyes seemed to have hardened against Kristoff.

Kristoff continued with his story. "But I couldn't, once I got to know her. Elsa was scared and alone, but strong. Something I admired in her. She revealed her powers to the town, and they accepted her, ice and all. Why wouldn't they? She's an amazing woman." Kristoff's face was now appearing a bit flushed, and he hastily continued. "We became. . . friends. But on the night of her coronation ball, Hans told her that I had killed you all. I tried to tell her that Hans was keeping you here, but she believed him. I don't know what he told her, but suddenly, the trust that we had after becoming friends was just gone. She ran off into the woods after he powers got out of her control, and Hans got me shipped back here."

All was quiet for a moment. Anna then broke the silence by exclaiming "That. . . jerk! And now he's probably gonna go look for her and. . . oh no. Oh no, no, no! We have to do something!"

"Anna, we already tried," the Queen whispered.

"You did? What happened?" Kristoff asked.

An awkward silence pervaded the cell. "I tried to grab the keys of a guard, but he was much faster than I," said the King. "When the prince found out, he. . . had a man beat me."

His wife reached for one of his hands, holding onto it firmly as if ensuring him that she would never let him get hurt again. The King gave her a weary smile, then turned back to Kristoff.

"The Prince told me that if I tried to escape again, it would be my wife or Anna at the mercy of his guard's hand. I couldn't let them get bruised and beat for me." With a sigh, he added, "I just wish that I could have done more to keep them safe."

"Agdar, you have kept us safe. There's nothing to feel ashamed of," the Queen reassured him.

"Yeah, Papa. Plus, we have Kristoffer-"

"Kristoff."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Anna brushed off Kristoff's correction. "We have him here now. He can help us!"

She gave Kristoff a pleading look. "Right?"

"I'll do what I can." Kristoff couldn't refuse Elsa's sister. Although the two were opposites in appearance, those blue eyes still held his attention. Looking at Anna's eyes reminded him of Elsa. He felt a pang of worry._ "I have_ _to help them get out of here and find Elsa. Be strong, Elsa. We're coming."_

"Are you okay?"

Kristoff blinked, woken from his reverie. He then realized that he had been staring at Anna. "Yeah, sorry. You just. . . remind me of Elsa. In some weird way. Not that you're weird, or anything," he awkwardly explained.

Anna gave him an understanding smile, and gently patted his hand. "We'll get back to her, don't worry."

The King and Queen were quietly talking to each other, unaware of the conversation between Kristoff and Anna.

Kristoff looked away in embarrassment. _"How did she know?" _

Anna laughed, filling the cell with music. "It's a sister thing. Even though I haven't seen her in six years, I'm still able to spot her boyfriend," she said, as if she had heard Kristoff's question.

Kristoff turned a deep shade of red, while the King and Queen looked at them in confusion.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Kristoff quickly asked, eager to change the subject.

* * *

Elsa was just now realizing that she had no supplies.

"No food, no water. . . I can try to melt the ice!"

She held a hand out in front of her and waved the other over it, creating a glass filled with ice.

"Okay, I just need to think about water. Come on. . ."

Elsa stared at the glass then waved her hand over it. However, it remained the same.

"I can do this! I did it once long ago, and with the staircase. . ." The memory of the staircase brought back the late night walk with Kristoff.

Elsa gave herself a small shake. "No. Focus. You can unfreeze a simple glass of ice. Think water. . ."

No matter how many times she tried, she couldn't melt the ice.

In a fit of frustration, Elsa threw the glass at the wall, causing pieces of ice to scatter all over the floor.

Elsa slumped down to the floor, head in her hands. "I can't do this!" Breathing deeply, she focused on her reflection in the crystal purity of the ice floor.

"Okay. Like Papa said, start from the beginning." Elsa slowly stood up and formed short bursts of snowflakes in the palms of her hands. She started to create graceful swirls of snow in the air. A snowflake landed on her nose, causing her to let out a soft giggle.

"Anna would have loved this place." An idea suddenly popped into her head. Elsa focused on an area on the floor. She raised an arm, and with a few turns of her hand had created a snowman.

She slowly got closer, inspecting it. A childhood memory was brought to the front of her mind.

_"Elsa, do you wanna build a snowman?"_

_"Okay, Anna! Here we go!"_

_"Yay! What's its name?!"_

_"Hmmmm. . . Olaf. 'Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!'"_

_"-giggle- I love you, Olaf!"_

Elsa gave the snowman a tiny smile, and gently placed her hand on top of its head. "Hello again, Olaf."

She stared at the snowman, taking in its absence of features. It had no eyes, nose, arms, or buttons. All it had was a mouth.

"I'll be back, Olaf."

She left her castle of ice, searching for sticks and stones. "I'm not going to find any carrots for noses up here. Sorry, Olaf. It looks like you'll have to go without a nose," she spoke to herself.

Although it took a while and she had to walk quite a distance away from her abode, she finally found what she wanted.

When she returned, she carefully placed the sticks and stones onto the snowman. She had been lucky enough to find two skinny branches with smaller extensions that resembled fingers. She even had enough twigs left over to use as hair and eyebrows.

Finally finished with her creation, Elsa stepped back to admire the noseless snowman.

"You're quite adorable, even without a nose," she said, and gave a small laugh.

Elsa started to walk out to the balcony when she heard a noise behind her, like a small gust of wind.

She shook her head to dispel the thought, and continued walking, opening the doors to the balcony when she reached them.

All of a sudden, she heard a voice.

"Woah, this place is amazing! A bit empty. . . but still amazing!"

Elsa scanned the ground below, searching for the voice in a panic. _"I can't let people near me. . ."_

"Everything's really blue though. . ."

Elsa realized that the voice was coming from behind her. She cautiously turned around, only to see her snowman, now with real eyes replacing the ones made of stone, walking around.

It saw her stared in horror and waved. "Hi! I'm Olaf, and-"

Elsa's high-pitched scream cut him off.

* * *

"You-you're alive!"

The snowman looked down at his hands. "Umm. . . yes?"

Elsa could only stare at him, while still standing backed up against the rail of the balcony, frozen in place.

"Elsa? Are you okay?"

She gave a small start. "You. . . know my name?"

"Well, yeah. You made me!" The snowman walked up to Elsa until he was only a foot away. He looked up at her with a hopeful smile and an outstretched hand. "Let's try this again! Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Elsa blinked in surprise. "Of course. . . Olaf!" she whispered.

Olaf stood there, patiently waiting.

He was surprised to see Elsa ignore his hand, instead embracing him in a tight hug.

"Olaf, I remember you. How could I forget?" Elsa clung more tightly to him, closing her eyes in contentment.

Olaf gave a goofy giggle and brought his twiggy arms around Elsa, hugging her back. "I remember you too! Except you were a lot smaller the last time I saw you. And you weren't living in an ice castle. But I remember!"

Elsa laughed and let go of him, moving her hands to his face. "I'm sorry, Olaf."

"What? Why? Do I have an extra foot?"

With a soft giggle, Elsa shook her head. "No, your feet are fine. I'm sorry that I neglected you for so long."

"What? Oh, that's nothing. Really, I feel like its only been five minutes since you last built me! Although, last time, I couldn't talk. Why'd you bring me to life this time? Not that I hate being alive, I love being able to breathe and wiggle my toes. Wait, I don't have toes. . ."

Elsa stared at him pensively. "Actually, I don't know how I did it."

"Oh, well that's okay! Now, come on! Let's go find Anna!"

Olaf took hold of Elsa's hand and tried to drag her with him. However, after a few seconds of effortless running, he realized that Elsa wasn't moving. He looked back to see her still kneeling on the floor, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"Elsa? Why are you crying?"

"Olaf, Anna's. . . gone. She's been gone for a long time," Elsa barely managed to say between her gasping sobs.

Olaf came back and wiped away her tears with his small, twig hands. "I'm sorry," he said sadly.

After a few moments of silence, occasionally punctuated by Elsa's sobs, Olaf quietly spoke up. "She's not really gone, you know? She's always with us, in here." He pointed at the left side of his chest, where his heart would be.

Elsa looked up to see Olaf smiling kindly down at her. She gave him a tiny smile in return, and wiped away the remaining tears. "You're right. Thank you, Olaf."

With a silly smile, Olaf sheepishly clasped his hands together.

"Come here, Olaf. I know you want another hug," Elsa lightly joked.

With a giggle of excitement, Olaf ran into Elsa's outstretched arms. He rested his head on Elsa's shoulder as the two sat there, comfortably in that single hug.

"Ya know what, Elsa? You give really warm hugs."

Elsa laughed. "You too, Olaf."

As the two sat there, bathed in the morning light, Elsa didn't feel as lonely or terrified as she had before. Having Olaf with her was like reliving childhood memories with Anna.

_"He's right. Anna. You are __still__ with us."_

* * *

**Would you guys prefer longer chapters, but with about 4 days in between, or the current "every 2-3 days" update schedule?**

**Hey, do any of you guys play Frozen Free Fall? Its taken over my life. o_o**

**Oh, do you guys watch "Once Upon a Time"? They just cast Elsa, Anna and Kristoff on the show! :D SO HAPPY. I loved Georgina Haig when she was on Fringe. :,D**

**Until Tuesday! :)**


	33. Chapter 32

**Hey there! I know I said this would be up tomorrow, but I couldn't wait. :p**

**Asteroth1: Haha, the prison break will be in the next chapter! Okay, thanks for the input! :D**

**WarThunder: Thank you for your input! :D**

**Apex Horizon: Thank you! It's the least I could do for all of these amazing people who come to visit this story. :) That is the greatest compliment I have ever received in my life. Thank you sir. :'D**

**Belmont9: Thanks! :)**

**Prettyprincess45: Thank you! :)**

* * *

Day two of looking for Elsa was almost over. Hans had extended the time spent searching for her from a day at a time to a day and a half after the first day had brought no sign of her return.

When Hans had left the castle on the first day, the slow snowfall that Elsa had left behind started to result in a thin layer of snow that covered the ground. Now, the layer was almost two inches thick, and the snow still hadn't stopped falling.

It was nighttime as Hans wandered deeper and deeper into the forest. He noticed that the farther he got from Arendelle, the more snow there was.

"_Follow the snow, find the princess," _he thought.

Hans suddenly came across a large, snow-covered hill. When he reached the top, he looked back down at Arendelle. "Oh my god. . ."

The land was completely covered in snow. Arendelle appeared to have been covered in a soft blacnket of snow, while the sea retained its alluring azure hue.

Hans shook his head and urged the horse forward. Elsa's powers were stronger than he thought. _"But I don't need to worry. I can handle her." _His hand lightly brushed the hilt of his sword, secured in place at his side.

Ten minutes later, he came across a grove of frozen trees. He stared at them in wonder as he passed by, marveling in their preserved beauty.

A flash of blue between the tops of the tress caught his eye. As soon as he left the perfectly preserved trees behind him, he was able to see the entirety of the object he had only gotten a glimpse of earlier.

"A palace made of. . . ice?" On the side of a mountain stood a majestic ice palace, the moonlight reflecting off of its walls making it appear as if it were something from a dream. There was only one person capable of making that.

"Hyah! Come on!" Hans urged the horse into a run as a grin spread over his face.

He raced up the mountain, the wind whipping his hair back and bringing tears to his eyes. But he didnt care. He would bring Elsa back and marry her as the valiant prince who had saved Arendelle's princess, securing his place as King. If she wouldn't come back with him, he would threaten to hurt her family. If she still refused to cooperate, he could simply get rid of her. The people of Arendelle had already given him control of their kingdom; naturally, it would go to him if Elsa died. However, Hans doubted that he would have to carry out the last scenario. _"And anyways, why kill her when I can keep her as a prize? A ravishing woman with the ability to control ice and snow. . . an ability that I could gain control of. . ."_

Before he knew it, Hans had reached the base of a staircase that led to the castle entrance. Hans dismounted his horse and slowly ascended the staircase, taking in the sight of the magnificence before him.

When he reached the large double-doors he stopped, unsure about what to do. _"Do I knock, or do I walk in? She's not expecting anyone; better to catch her off guard."_

Hans slowly opened one of the doors and walked inside. As soon as he was safely in the room, the door quietly swung back into place, startling Hans.

A fountain made of ice stood in front of him, between two grand staircases. Other than that, the room was empty.

He couldn't help but stare at everything around him as he walked over to one of the staircases. All of a sudden, his foot slipped on the icy floor, causing a squeak to reverberate throughout the room as Hans struggled to steady himself.

"_Crap,"_ he muttered under his breath.

Hans heard scuffling from the second floor.

"What was that?" he heard Elsa ask.

"Ooh, visitors!" another voice excitedly spoke.

"No, Olaf, don't-"

A snowman suddenly appeared on the landing between the two staircases. "Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" The snowman beamed at Hans, frantically waving his twiggy hand.

"What the- what, how?" Hans stammered out in shock.

Elsa appeared behind Olaf, panic on her face. As soon as she saw who it was, her face relaxed slightly. "Prince Hans, what are you doing here?" she quietly asked.

"Your Highness, I've come to take you back to Arendelle."

"Back? No, I don't belong down there. At least, not right now. I need to learn how to control myself before I return."

"Your Highness, please, I-" Hans stopped to stare at Olaf. "I'm sorry, do you mind if he steps outside for a moment?"

Elsa looked down in surprise at Olaf. "Olaf? But he's completely harmless."

"It's okay, Elsa! Have fun with Prince Hans!" Olaf yelled as he waddled joyfully down the steps and out the door.

Elsa gracefully walked down the stairs, her eyes trained on the next step in front of her. Hans stared at her changed appearance. He didn't overlook the fact that her glimmering dress seemed to hug her form, that her hips swayed slightly as she walked.

Elsa finally reached the first floor and stood a few feet away from him, hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Prince Hans, I'm sorry, but I cannot go back right now."

"But the kingdom is covered in snow."

Elsa's eyes widened in shock. "What? I ran away from the kingdom to keep it safe from me. . . h-how is that possible?"

"I don't know. But your people need you to end this winter. Please, come back with me."

"I can't! I-I don't know how!"

A blizzard started to form around Elsa as her emotions started to spiral out of control.

"Princess, please! You can do this!"

"No, please, I'll only make it worse! I can't reverse the damage I've done!"

Hans placed his hands securely on Elsa's shoulders, demanding her attention. Elsa looked up at him, terror apparent in her features.

"Please, Princess. You can do this. The people believe in you."

The blizzard instantly stopped to a halt, snowflakes suspended in the air.

Elsa gently pulled away from Hans and loosely crossed her arms, as if she were hugging herself.

"I can't go back right now. I need to figure out how to control this. But I promise, when I do, I will return."

Hans gave a slight nod. After a moment of silence, he asked, "You wouldn't even return for your family?"

Elsa gave him a wary look. "That question is irrelevant. As you know, my family is. . . dead."

Hans' lips shaped themselves into a pernicious smile.

Elsa took a step back in shock at his sudden change in demeanor. "Prince Hans, what. . ."

"You really should have listened to that Kristoffer fellow. Kristoffer? Kristoff? Well, he's in the dungeons of the Southern Isles now, along with your family."

Elsa's legs gave out beneath her, causing her to crumple to the floor. She clapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop the sobs of hysteria from escaping her.

"Yes, your Kristoff wasn't lying." Hans gave a crude laugh. "And now he's rotting away with your family."

Elsa's eyes flashed up to meet his. In a burst of anger she stood up, palms out in front of her, ready to attack Hans with a burst of ice. "Release them," she coldly prounounced.

"Why would I do that?"

"Do you want an icicle though your heart?"

"Oh Elsa, I don't think you would do that."

"You don't know me," Elsa whispered, fighting to hide the quiver in her voice.

"But I do know that your care for your family and that Kristoff. You will come back with me, as my fiancée, otherwise I'll have to have some guards make their conditions a bit more. . . unbearable."

Elsa instantly lowered her hands. "No. . . don't hurt them, please! I'll do anything, just please don't hurt them!"

Hans strode over to her, an arrogant grin on his face, and gently grabbed hold of her chin. "Good. When we get back, we'll immediately make plans for your coronation and our wedding. How does that sound to you?"

Elsa glared back at him, fighting the urge to spit in his face.

"Oh, don't be like that, come. In time, you'll learn to love me."

"I could never love you. You're a monster."

Hans gave her a sly smile. "We'll see. Come on. We're leaving right now." He grabbed her by the arm and led her outside.

They found Olaf outside, chasing the horse as it ran off down the mountain. "Hey, come back!" he yelled.

"What about Olaf?" Elsa asked in a whisper.

"You can have your snowman, he doesn't threaten me," Hans replied with a smirk.

"How are we going to get back?" Elsa hollowly asked, her fear of keeping her family alive wiping all emotion from her.

"Horseback. Don't worry, he'll come back. But I can't have you give my plan away to your snowman. You'll be asleep for the ride."

"What-"

Hans hit her head with the side of his sword, and caught her before she fell. He gave a shrill whistle , waiting for the horse to return. A minute later, it could be seen rounding the corner with Olaf following close behind.

"Whew, you're fast! Wait until I tell-" Olaf stopped running when he saw Hans carrying Elsa down the stairs. "What happened to Elsa?" he worriedly asked.

"She fainted. The stress got to her. Don't worry, she'll be safe back in Arendelle."

* * *

**-dun dun dun- :o**

**Have you guys read Arialene's "Frostbitten"? That story is so good. o_o I'm sad that its over, but she also has some stories related to it, so at least I have those to read. :D I definitely recommened that you guys go check it out (unless you have a strong dislike for the Jack Frost x Elsa/ Jelsa ship). Seriously though, that was an amazing story. :)**

**Until Wednesday!**


	34. Chapter 33

**Hello again! -waves- **

**Asteroth1: Thank you! Hans is actually the most difficult character for me to write, so hearing that means a lot to me. :D**

**Prettyprincess45: Thank you, lovely! :D**

* * *

"Okay, okay, okay. So when can I go?"

"Calm down, Anna. Be patient."

"I am! I am so ready. I was born ready!"

Anna leaned on the cell door, hands wrapped around the bars while bouncing up and down on her toes impatiently.

"Anna." The King placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't do anything reckless. Be safe."

Anna turned to face him and threw her arms around him. "I will. Don't worry, Papa." She glanced at her mother who sat quietly on the floor, picking at a piece of bread. Kristoff was lying down on one of their makeshift beds, arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"Wait, why did we wait until 3 A.M. again?"

Kristoff spoke up from his corner. "It'll be easier for us to get away when everyone's asleep. Plus, there should be fewer guards around."

"Okay. I got this. 'Pow!' And then we're gone!"

"Anna." The Queen looked up from her spot on the floor. "Please, be careful."

Anna crouched down in front of her mother and took hold of her hands, firmly holding them in her own. "I will, Mama. Don't worry, we're all going to make it. I know." Her turquoise eyes gleamed with determination, two bright orbs standing out against the darkness of the night.

The Queen gave her a gentle smile full of love and raised one hand to brush Anna's bangs back from her face. "I love you."

"I love you too." Anna embraced her mother, then stood up, smoothing her skirt down.

"Okay you guys, act natural."

Kristoff closed his eyes, giving the illusion that he was sleeping. The King and Queen both crawled under a blanket on the floor, hands linked.

"Mama, Papa, close your eyes."

"We want to make sure that you'll be okay," the King whispered.

"Papa, this won't work if the guard sees you two staring at me. Pretend to be asleep!" Anna whispered back.

With a sigh, the King closed his eyes. The Queen held Anna's gaze for a moment more before slowly closing hers.

Anna turned to face the door, teeth worrying her bottom lip. "Okay, here goes."

She cleared her throat and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Excuse me! Hello up there?"

A door could be heard opening. Soon, a guard clumped down the stairs, the look on his face indicating that he had fallen asleep at his post and had just woken up. "Yes?" he groggily asked.

"Ahem. I need to umm. . . use the facilities."

The guard stared at her, a dopey look on his face.

"The restroom. Please."

"Oh yeah. Okay." The guard pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked the door. As soon as Anna was outside, he locked it and escorted her upstairs.

As they walked down the quiet hallway of the dungeons, Anna felt her fingers twitch, despite the fact that she was clasping her hands tightly together. _"Come on, don't blow this. . ."_

When they reached the lavatory, Anna gave a deep curtsy. "Thank you, kind sir. Wait, what's that?"

"What? Where?" The guard turned around, peering into the barely-lit hallway for any sign of disturbance.

Anna brought her arm back and punched him in the face. With a grunt, the guard fell to the floor, knocked out by the impact.

Anna curiously examined his face, to make sure he was out, then slowly retrieved the ring of keys on the inside of his coat.

She tiptoed back to the cell, wincing as she started to feel the pain in her hand. "Ow, ow, ow. . ."

Kristoff jumped up while the King carefully pulled the Queen to her feet. "Was there anyone else?" Kristoff asked.

"Nope. Just ol' Mr. Sleepy up there. But he'll be out for a while." Anna fumbled with the keys, trying to figure out which one unlocked the door.

"Anna, hurry," the King spoke in a strained whisper.

"Okay, I got this! It's the gray one with the weird teeth. . . why are there so any keys?!"

"It's that one!" Kristoff pointed to the one Anna had just passed.

"Are you sure. . . ?" By this point, Anna's teeth had been pulling at her lip in worry for so long that it was starting to bleed.

"Yes! And your lip is bleeding, what-"

"Shh! I know, I know!" Anna hastily unlocked the door and swung it open, barely catching it before it slammed against the cell wall.

"Let's go!" Kristoff spoke.

"Wait, what about the other prisoners?" Anna asked.

"There are no others, there's only two cells. The rest of the dungeons are pretty much hallways and storage rooms. When the guards dragged me in, I heard them talk about the other cell being another storage room. Guess they haven't had any other prisoners since I was last here. Now come on, we have to go!"

Kristoff took the lead, while Anna followed close by. The King wrapped an arm protectively around his wife as they followed the two upstairs.

Once they were in the main hallway, Kristoff turned to Anna. "Okay, where's the back door?"

"Wait, what? Why would I know that?" Anna whispered in a panic.

"You've been here for six years!" he countered.

"Yeah, in a dungeon! It's not like I spent my days wandering around, eating chocolate! Oh. . . I miss chocolate so much. . ."

"Now is not the time for arguing," the King broke in. "Come on, we'll just have to hope that we're headed in the right direction." He turned to the left. "This way, let's go."

They silently ran down the hallway. When they reached a corner, Kristoff stopped them. "Wait, I'll go check first." He cautiously peeked around the corner, and spotted a guard slumped against the wall, snoring.

Kristoff turned back to the family. "Okay, we have to be really quiet." He shot a pointed look at Anna.

"Hey, what? Why me?" she hissed back.

He rolled his eyes and started to take careful steps down the hallway.

They took light, quiet steps past the guard. When they rounded another corner, Anna let out a sigh of relief.

"Wait, why can't we wake up the King? He never knew that Hans was keeping us here, he can help us!" she said.

"The King is on his deathbed. And we don't know if he would help us. It's best to go it alone," her father answered.

After a few minutes of walking, they came across the palace kitchens.

"The kitchen! It should have a side door," Anna excitedly whispered.

Kristoff slowly opened the door. When they entered, nothing awaited them save for a stack of plates and a basket of fruit. Another door stood on the opposite side of the room.

They silently ran to the door, Anna grabbing the basket of fruit as she ran by. "Sorry!' she whispered to the ceiling.

Kristoff opened the door, and they ran through, eager to be free after spending so much time in captivity.

They stood outside the door, stunned by the fresh air that greeted them. "We're free," the Queen spoke in awe.

"Not yet," Kristoff replied. "Come on, we have to get the docks!"

It took them a while, but they finally reached the docks. Once they got there, Kristoff spotted a small fishing boat and started to untie the rope that held it to the dock.

"Wait, we can't steal some guy's boat!" Anna exclaimed.

"Are you kidding me? You stole a basket of fruit!"

"That's different. Hans had us locked up for six years. I think the least he could do is give us a basket of fruit."

"But he didn't give it to you."

Anna shrugged. "Says who?"

"We'll give the boat back," the King hurriedly spoke.

They clambered onto the boat and pushed off, the night breezes pushing them steadily over the water.

"We need to paddle." Kristoff said to Anna.

"I can help," the King spoke.

"There's only two oars. Rest. Take care of your wife. I'll wake you up in a couple of hours," Kristoff replied.

The King looked as if he were about to protest then glanced at his wife. She stood there, shivering, and drooped against his side.

"Okay then. Be careful, you two." The King nodded to Kristoff and gave Anna a small smile.

"Go, Papa. Make sure Mama sleeps," said Anna.

The King led his wife to the back of the boat, leaving Anna and Kristoff standing there.

"Ready?" Anna gave Kristoff a grin.

He smiled back at her and handed her an oar. "Let's go home."

* * *

**And so begins the return to Arendelle! :D**

**Haha, there were a lot of mini-arguments between Anna and Kristoff. :P But they were meant to be like sibling arguments, just fighting over small things. Anna sort of sees Kristoff as the big older brother that she never had. :)**

**Next update will be on Friday or Saturday. :)**


	35. Chapter 34

**Hi there! :)**

**Asteroth1: You bet. :D **

**taylorjago: You and me both, who doesn't love a family reunion? :D (okay, some people don't. :p) As for Hans' ending, I'm still unsure as to how I want to end things for him, because I feel like having someone kill him would be too harsh, but just sending him to prison would be like nothing to him. :\ Maybe Elsa will freeze him? I dunno. :\**

* * *

Her head hurt. A lot.

In her sleep, Elsa could feel a strange warmth on the side of her face. She leaned into it, comforted by the strange presence, this soft, gloved hand.

Wait, gloved hand?

Her eyes flashed open in an instant to see Hans sitting in a chair by her bed back in the castle, his hand cradling her cheek.

She flinched away from his touch, scrambling to the other side of the bed, anxious to get as far away from him as possible.

"What are you doing here?" she tersely asked.

Hans gave her a despondent look, the glint in his eyes telling her that it was an act. "Oh, Elsa, did you forget? We're to be married. Tomorrow, in fact," he spoke in a mocking tone.

"Tomorrow? How long was I out for?" she worriedly asked.

"Only for hmm. . . 9 hours? It's 8 in the morning right now," he casually remarked.

Elsa tentatively touched her left temple, wincing in response.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that bruise. Couldn't have your snowman finding things out, could we? He could have blabbed it to everyone. I have a feeling he would have known something was wrong, even if you didn't say anything to him. He's very attached to you, he's been asking to see you every hour." Hans rolled his eyes, already tired of Olaf.

"Olaf? What did you do with him?" Elsa asked, her hands tightening into fists at her sides.

"Relax, my _darling_ fiancee. He's roaming around. Somewhere. He'll come back," Hans lazily replied.

Elsa turned away from him, choosing to stare out the window than to converse with him.

"Wait. . ." Elsa stood up and rushed to the window, peering out at the ground below. "Oh no. . . what have I done?" she hopelessly mumbled to herself.

The snow was still falling; it had started to rise higher and higher, resulting in small hills of snow here and there.

Elsa suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Instinctively, she grabbed the hand and let her powers create an icy layer over it.

She heard Hans yelp behind her and let go of the hand, only to see him staring at it in horror. Suddenly, his eyes flashed up to meet hers, the instant glint of anger in them causing her to give a jump back in terror.

"You're going to regret this. I ought to get rid of them now," he growled.

"No! Please, I-it was an accident!" Elsa begged, hating the fact that this monster had so much control over her.

Hans stared at her silently for a minute. "Fine, I'll let it go this time." He walked to her door, slowly opening it before looking back at her."The kingdom's getting ready for our wedding and your coronation. You're going to be quite busy with preparations today." He gave her a smirk before adding, "I'll see you later, _my love._" With that, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

That last comment made Elsa's skin crawl. She wanted so badly to punch him, a very un-ladylike thing to do. She settled for sending a burst of ice towards her nightstand.

Taking in deep, panicked breaths, Elsa looked around the room frantically, as if searching for the answer to her problems. A large swath of pink caught her attention.

Anna's bed.

Elsa slowly regained control of herself and stared pensively at her sister's side of the room.

"I have to protect my family, and Kristoff."

Elsa's eyes flickered to her door, hardening when she remembered all that Hans had done and said.

"Fine. I'll marry him. But not for him. For the ones I love," she spoke in a voice befitting the Snow Queen.

* * *

The guards were everywhere, thrown into a panic at the disappearance of the prisoners.

"Prince Hans will have our heads for this!"

"How could you let them escape?!"

"Did you fall asleep again?!"

One of the guards yelled for attention. "Prince Hans doesn't know they've escaped. And why should he? He'll be in Arendelle for a while. Don't say anything about this. We'll search the land, send out small search parties. They can't have gotten far. Is that clear?"

The guards shouted their approval and rushed upstairs.

* * *

"Princess Elsa!"

Elsa turned around to see Kai walking towards her. "Kai, hello," she politely replied.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" he asked, voice full of concern.

"Yes, of course. My bruise isn't very bad, I'll be fine."

"I wasn't talking about your bruise. You're. . . marrying a man you just met."

Elsa dropped her gaze, anxiously wringing her hands. "Yes, I'm aware."

"Did something happen while you were gone, Your Majesty?"

"I. . . no. Nothing happened. I agreed to marry him out of gratitude for bringing me back and to help Arendelle. Kingdoms joined by marriage have always done well."

"But what about you? You deserve to be happy, Your Highness."

Elsa's eyes flickered back up to meet his in surprise. "I am happy," she whispered.

"Princess, I've known you for your whole life. I can tell that something's disturbing you. Please, let me help you. Let someone, anyone help."

She gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head. "No, Kai. Please, I'm fine. I just. . . it's just pre-wedding nerves. I'll be fine, I promise." Elsa gave him a tight-lipped smile.

Kai furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. With a sigh, he gave a low bow. "I'll trust your judgement, Your Highness."

Elsa gave a small nod in return. "Thank you, Kai. Now, please, excuse me. I must go deal with flower preparations for the wedding and coronation." She walked away, perfectly poised and regal.

Kai stared after her in worry. _"Something's not right with Prince Hans."_

* * *

"Aw, you're a cute reindeer, aren't you!"

_-snort-_

"Yeah, I like you too! It's a good thing I don't have a nose, you probably would have eaten it by now!"

Olaf giggled as he clung more tightly to Sven's head, despite Sven's protests.

Olaf had spent the day in the stables with Sven after Hans told him to go look around. Now that it was nighttime, he was trying to use Sven as a pillow.

"Hans is a bit stuffy, but maybe all princes are like that. Maybe Elsa likes stuffy princes." Olaf gave a shrug. "Did you hear, Sven? Elsa and Hans are getting married!"

Sven raised his head and gave Olaf a confused grunt.

"Yeah, married! I haven't seen Elsa all day. I guess she was busy getting ready for tomorrow. Wait, shh, Sven! Someone's coming!"

Olaf and Sven stared at the stall door as they heard someone open the barn door. Soft footfalls were heard as the person neared the stall door.

It slowly swung open to reveal elsa, loose-haired, barefoot and nightgown-clad. "Olaf! Sven!" she quietly exclaimed in surprise.

"Elsa!" Olaf rushed forward and pulled her into the stall. "There, now we can all have a sleepover."

Elsa softly chucked and settled herself onto the floor next to Sven. "I'm sorry, Olaf, but I'll have to return to my room. I came here to check and see if Sven was still here. I'm happy I found you two, but I can't stay. Sleeping in a barn isn't becoming of a queen-to-be." Her last sentence held a note of sarcasm.

"Yeah, your wedding! Are you excited! Is it true love?"

Elsa's gentle grin quickly disappeared.

"Wait, it's not true love?" Olaf worriedly asked.

"I was in love. Once. With Kristoff," she replied in a feather-light whisper. She raised a hand to gently stroke Sven's head between the ears. Sven's head perked up at the sound of his friend's name.

"Then why aren't you marrying Kristoff?" Olaf asked, confusion in his voice.

After a moment of hesitation, Elsa let out a sigh.

"Hans has Kristoff and my family locked up. If I don't do what he says, he'll. . . torture them. Hurt them. I can't do that to them. I would never be able to forgive myself if my actions resulted in the death of someone I love." A tear slid down her cheek, to her surprise.

Sven rubbed his head against her face, wiping the tear away.

With a grateful, but still teary, smile, Elsa thanked him.

"But. . . can't we do something?" Olaf asked.

"I don't know what to do. Anything that I try will only anger Hans." With wide, terror-filled eyes, Elsa turned to Olaf. "You cannot speak about this, Olaf! Please. If Hans found out that I told you. . . I don't know what he would do to you. Please, I can't let him hurt you. I can't let him hurt anyone else."

"But then you'll be the one hurting," Olaf protested.

Sven snorted in agreement.

Elsa gave them both a somber smile. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Olaf stared at her, uncertain of her promise. "Okay. . . we'll be quiet. But we'll figure something out!"

Sven gave a determined snort, seconding Sven's statement.

Elsa embraced both of them in a group hug. "Thank you, both of you," she whispered.

Little as their statements were, they helped Elsa feel more at ease.

She reluctantly pulled away and got up to leave.

"I have to go to bed now, tomorrow's a big day."

She pushed open the stall door, walking out. She still held the stall door in her hand, and turned back to face them.

"Olaf? Would you like to come inside?"

Olaf glanced at Sven. "What about Sven?"

With an apologetic look, she replied, "Reindeers aren't allowed in the castle, I'm sorry, Sven."

"Then I'll stay out here with Sven. Don't worry about us, Elsa. We'll be okay."

Elsa looked as if she were about to protest, but simply gave them a loving smile.

"Alright then. Goodnight."

* * *

**So close to the wedding! **

**Next update will be on Tuesday!**


	36. Chapter 35

**Hi again! **

**Asteroth1: Haha, he's the Hans we all know and love. :p**

**taylorjago: Ooh, sneaky. I'll think about it. :)**

**Dance Elle Dance: Oh my god, thank you sweetie! I love this ship, but I wish there was more Kristelsa stuff around. :( I recommend "Acts of True Love" by hamletlaertes if you're looking for another Kristelsa fanfic. It's short, but very interesting. :) Oh, and thank you for putting this story in a community; I'm glad you're enjoying this story. :)**

**Belmont9: Thank you! :D**

* * *

Elsa stood in the dressing room, eyes following Gerda's movements as the woman bustled around in search of a dress.

"We can't have Your Highness attending your wedding in your nightgown, can we?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Gerda, it's fine. I can make myself a dress."

Gerda spun around to face her. "Oh yes, of course!" she exclaimed.

With a wave of her hand, Elsa let her powers glide over her nightgown, replacing it with her infamous dress of ice. A few more flourishes, and she soon had her heels, cape and a new addition: a veil as light and as long as her magical cape.

Gerda stared at her in amazement. "Your Majesty. . . you look absolutely beautiful. Radiant."

A light flush spread over Elsa's cheeks, making her appear even more like an elegant, blushing bride. "Thank you," she replied with a polite smile.

"Are you ready to leave for the church, Your Majesty?"

Elsa was about to nod, but stopped herself halfway. "Actually. . . I would like a few minutes to myself."

Gerda curtsied and headed for the door. "As you wish. Kai and I will be waiting downstairs."

Elsa nodded in agreement and watched Gerda leave. As soon as she was positive that the maid had rounded the corner into another hallway, she silently left the room and headed for the back of the castle.

There was an old door hidden by some vines in the back wall that had been used by the servants long ago. Instead of blowing her cover by constructing a staircase of ice, Elsa, after some resistance from the door, made it through. She closed it quietly behind her, and looked out at the cold, clear sea.

She felt comforted by its peaceful, cerulean hue. She had once heard from the servants that if one were to whisper a secret into a large seashell and then throw it into the ocean, it would be safe forever.

Elsa wanted nothing more than to dive into the water in search of this place that offered secrecy and sanctuary. But no, she was stuck here, in this winter wonderland trapped in summer.

She kneeled down onto the snow-covered ground and tentatively dipped her fingers into the water. A sigh of contentment escaped her as she reveled in the instant coolness. However, her peace didn't last for long.

A small crackling noise came from the water. Elsa realized that the water near her hand was slowly starting to freeze over. Tendrils of it started to creep along the water, slowly picking up speed.

Elsa quickly withdrew her fingers and stood up. "No. . . what. . . what did I do?!"

The spread of the ice picked up speed, the crackling noise growing louder and louder.

Elsa's wyes flickered from side to side. She had to act soon, but the ice had started to spread out into two different directions. She had to pick: stop the ice from spreading to the sea, or Arendelle's rivers.

With a cry of frustration, Elsa ran out onto the frozen water and faced the ocean.

She held her arms out in front of her and closed her eyes. She then brought her arms down in one swift motion, causing the ice to swoop down, deep into the water. The ice had been manipulated into becoming a wall, stopping itself from spreading any further.

Elsa turned around to see the rest of the ice cover the water that led to Arendelle's main river. "Our freshwater. . ."

The cracking sound of the ice grew fainter and fainter until Elsa could hear it no more. She knew that it was still traveling, still freezing over many people's main water supply.

As Elsa stood there, shocked into immobilization, a rumble sounded overhead. She looked up, only to see the sky covered with dark, looming clouds. The wind picked up, throwing her braid and some loose strands of hair back. How was she going to stop this winter now?

The peal of the church bells rang through the air, pulling Elsa out of her terror-stricken reverie.

With one last look of alarm at the growing mass of storm clouds overhead, she gathered her skirts about her and ran back inside.

* * *

None of the flowers were salvageable after the snowfall and sudden drop in temperature. Therefore, Elsa had to make do without a bridal bouquet. To her, it didn't matter. But it did to Gerda.

"Your Highness, couldn't you just conjure up a bouquet of flowers of your own creation?"

"Gerda, it's fine. I don't need any."

"But-"

Kai shot Gerda a warning look. "Gerda, relax. She'll be fine, flowers or not." He patted Elsa's hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

Elsa gave him a shaky smile, but quickly looked away, sure that she would burst into tears under his watchful eye.

"Your Majesty, are you-"

Kai was interrupted by the sound of the wedding march.

Gerda quickly arranged Elsa's veil and dress. With a teary smile, she opened the door for the Kai and Elsa.

The two slowly walked down the aisle, politely nodding to the guests. Elsa's hand trembled slightly, and her steps felt shaky. She clung more tightly to Kai's arm; to faint at that moment would be a sign of an unsteady ruler.

She looked up to see Hans dressed in a white uniform with gold accents, a red cravat tied at his neck. He had his sword at his side again; although it was for ceremonial purposes, Elsa felt uneasy at the sight of it.

Hans gave her a smug smile as she and Kai walked up the steps. With a nod to the bishop, Kai left Elsa and moved off to the side.

"We are here today to crown our new Queen, and to witness her marriage to Prince Hans, Admiral of the Southern Isles."

Elsa gave Hans a quick glance in surprise. She hadn't known that he held such a prestigious title.

The small choir in the wing above them started to sing an old hymn; one that had been sung at many coronations.

The bishops carefully lifted the tiara meant for Elsa from a nearby table. Elsa bowed her head and closed her eyes.

As the bishop carefully placed the tiara in her hair, the choir came to an end. Elsa stood back up, only to see the bishop holding out a small pillow that held the royal scepter and orb.

With a deep inhale, Elsa tentatively picked up the two and turned to face the crowd. The bishop spoke the old Nordic coronation blessing as Elsa pleaded to whatever higher power was above to not let her freeze these ceremonial artifacts.

The bishop soon declared her the new ruler, and Elsa relaxed as soon as she placed them back in his safe keep.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hans move closer to her. The two turned so that their profiles were facing the crowd. As much as she wanted to, Elsa didn't pull away when Hans reached for her hands.

"Today, Queen Elsa of Arendelle shall be joined by marriage. . ."

* * *

Olaf waddled around in the snow outside the church while Sven followed close by.

"I wish we could go inside, but Hans said no," he dejectedly told Sven, gathering an indignant snort from the reindeer.

"Yeah, I bet Kristoff would have let us in."

All of a sudden, Olaf looked up as if someone had called his name. "Anna?" he whispered.

Sven gave him a questioning grunt.

"No, I know you're Sven! Anna's here! I know it! Come on!" With a wide grin on his face, Olaf started to waddle over to the docks. Sven grunted and followed his friend.

"We're coming, Anna!"

* * *

"It's s-so cold. . ." Anna whispered.

"It wasn't like this when I left," Kristoff spoke, his words almost carried away by the wind.

The group carefully made it onto the docks.

"Look!" Anna said breathlessly. The water near the castle had been frozen over, in close proximity to the docks.

The loud rumbling of storm clouds could be heard coming from the other side of town.

"That's gotta be Elsa!" Anna exclaimed. She broke into a run, but instantly stopped. "What is that?" she warily asked the others.

The other three looked over to where she had directed her gaze. Olaf came running towards them with Sven curiously tagging along. As soon as Sven saw Kristoff, he picked up speed and tumbled into him, making noises of happiness.

"Sven!" Kristoff wrapped his arms around his friend. "I've missed you so much, buddy."

Olaf waddled up to Anna. "Hi! I'm Olaf! But I'm pretty sire you already knew that!"

Anna blinked in recognition. "Olaf? How? Did Elsa make you?"

Olaf nodded enthusiastically. "And she's getting married! Right now, to Prince Hans!"

"What?!" Anna exclaimed in horror.

Kristoff let go of Sven. "We need to go!" Your Highnesses, please, take Sven."

The Queen gave a small shake of her head and was about to protest when the King scooped her up in his arms and placed her on Sven's back. "Idun, we need to preserve your health. Please," he said, eyes silently pleading with her. He climbed on behind her and patted Sven's side. "Come on, go Sven!"

Sven took off, leaving Anna, Kristoff and Olaf behind.

"Hurry! We need to stop her!" Anna yelled.

She took hold of Olaf's hand and ran towards the church, Kristoff beside them as the wind continued to blow the heavy snowfall around in the frigid air.

* * *

**I've unknowingly been making chapters longer. Hey, who can argue against longer chapters? :)**

**Olaf was able to "sense" Anna because of his composition. Elsa made him out of snow, but she unconsciously poured all of her childhood memories and love for Anna into him. Therefore, he has a very strong bond to both sisters.**

**Hey you! Go look up A Very Disney Bad Lip Reading: Frozen. You will not regret this (unless you hate profanity, then don't watch it.)**

**Next update on Thursday!**


	37. Chapter 36

**Hey again!**

**Asteroth1 and emmamiapayne: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :D**

**Belmont9: Haha, glad you understand! :D Thank you. :)**

**Prettyprincess45: Oh no, it's fine, don't worry! :D Haha, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it. :)**

* * *

"I do."

Elsa felt a lump form in her throat. Her hands were sweating profusely from the tension, but Hans showed no sign of noticing as he held them.

"And do you, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, take this man to be your husband?"

"I. . ." she whispered.

Elsa could see Kai over Hans' shoulder, staring at her with an expression of concern and confusion.

Hans grasped her hands more tightly, drawing her attention. Although he smiled down sweetly at her, she knew what he was trying to say: _"Do it."_

Her hands trembled, but she knew that there was no backing out of this forced union. "I-"

The front doors suddenly swung open, and Elsa closed her eyes in relief. Even though she knew she would still have to go through with this, she was glad for the interruption so that she could gather what little courage she believed she had.

"Elsa!" a clear voice rang out.

Hans quickly dropped Elsa's hands and backed away. Gasps were heard throughout the room.

She opened her eyes and turned towards the source of the voice, confused by Hans' response. She lifted her veil, knowing full well that she wasn't supposed to yet, but annoyed with it obstructing her view. As soon as she saw who it was, she understood why Hans had reacted as he did.

Her little sister stood in the aisle. . . grown into a beautiful young woman. An older version of her parents stood behind Anna, gazing at her with tears in their eyes. Kristoff stood next to Anna, Olaf and Sven behind him, as he stared at her, wonderstruck by her beauty.

"What. . . how?" Hans sputtered.

Elsa turned to look at him, anger blazing in her eyes. "You monster," she coldly pronounced. "You lock them up, then threaten to kill them? Then, you blackmail me into marrying you. Well, now I'm free of your tyranny. Not of my own accord, but ironically, by the ones you imprisoned. It's over."

She brought her hand up, causing ice to appear at Hans' feet and then slowly crawl up his legs, stopping at his calves.

Elsa gracefully ran down the steps, but slowed down as she neared Anna. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she slowly approached this woman with the same hair, same smile, same sparkle in her eye as her sister. "Anna?"

Anna gave a relieved laugh and nodded, not caring about the heavy stream of tears that raced down her face.

Elsa rushed forward and embraced her, sobbing uncontrollably. "Oh, Anna. . ." she sobbed into her sister's shoulder. Anna wrapped her arms tightly around her sister, with no intention of letting go anytime soon. "Elsa, I've missed you so much," she managed to say between hiccups and gasps.

Elsa pulled back and grasped Anna's hands tightly in her own. She took in her parents' changed appearances over Anna's shoulder in shock. "Mama. . ."

With a shaky smile, the Queen enveloped her daughter in her arms. Elsa released Anna's hands as she carefully hugged her mother back, frightened by her figure so much like that of a china doll's. She shot Anna a worried look, to which her sister replied with a sad nod.

Elsa closed her eyes, breathing in the familiar smell of her mother. "Mama. . . are you. . . alright?"

"I'm fine," the Queen whispered. She released her hold on her daughter, only to kiss her forehead before turning to her husband.

The King walked forward, a wistful, yet happy, expression on his face. The Queen moved back to step beside Anna.

The King gently placed his hands on Elsa's shoulders. "My eldest. . . grown up so quickly. . ." he murmured, almost disbelievingly.

Elsa stared into his light-green eyes, eyes tamed by age. She gave him a teary half-smile, knowing exactly what both were thinking: their family had lost so much time together.

The King surprised her by wrapping his arms around her, bringing her in close for a hug. The two quietly cried into each other, not caring about all of the strangers around them.

When he finally let go of his daughter, he quickly glanced at Kristoff before looking back at her. With a knowing smile, he moved to be next to his wife and Anna, all beaming, although Anna's grin was the widest, as Elsa slowly approached Kristoff.

"I. . . are you. . . I'm so sorry," she spoke in am anguished whisper.

Kristoff moved closer to her and held her hands protectively in his own. His eyes shone with unshed tears as hr smiled down at her. "It's over now, don't worry," he comfortingly murmured.

Elsa removed her hands from his only to lightly place a finger on his mouth. "I let my fear get the better of me, let it twist my reality into something that it wasn't. But I'm not scared anymore. I will never doubt you again."

Kristoff was about to respond when his eyes flickered to the top of her head. "Elsa, your veil!"

Elsa turned around to see the edge of her veil. . . melting? "How? I'm not doing anything!" she spoke in surprise and confusion. Had she finally found a way to stop the winter?

A door in the back slammed shut. Everyone's heads looked back in response. "Hans!" Elsa exclaimed.

The prince had disappeared, leaving only a puddle where he had previously been standing. Somehow, the ice had thawed, and he had slipped away while everyone was caught up in the family reunion.

"Guards!" Elsa exclaimed. "Search the surrounding area! He can't have gotten far." She dropped her hand from Kristoff's face. "I'm going out there. I can't let him get away like this."

"I'm going too," Kristoff staunchly replied.

Elsa nodded and started to head for the back door when Anna stepped in her way. "I'm coming too."

"Anna, no. Please, I can't lose you again," Elsa pleaded.

Anna was about to protest, but stopped herself after taking in her sister's panicked expression. "Okay. Wait." She quickly removed the veil from Elsa's head. "There, much better. Go punch Hans," she said with a confident smile.

Elsa responded with a light laugh. With one last glance at her family, she headed out the door with Kristoff, in search of justice.

* * *

"Elsa, slow down!"

She could barely hear Kristoff as the storm raged around them. The wind howled in her ears, and she couldn't see anything more than a few feet away.

Elsa knew that it was reckless to continue on without Kristoff, but she couldn't let Hans get away unpunished.

She brought herself to a sudden halt. _"What are you doing?! You already lost Kristoff once, don't lose him again!"_

"Kristoff!" Elsa yelled into the storm, scanning the area behind her.

All of a sudden, she heard a loud, anguished cry of pain.

"Kristoff!" she yelled more urgently as she ran towards the source of the noise.

By the change in sound of the clicking of her heels as she ran, Elsa guessed that she was now out on the frozen water. She spun around, desperately searching for any signs of Kristoff. A flash of blond through the swirling snow caught her eye, and she quickly ran towards it.

There stood Hans, with Kristoff trapped under one of his arms while the other held a bloody sword. He stood facing Elsa with Kristoff in front of him as a human shield. "Don't come any closer," he crooned to Elsa. "Otherwise. . ."

He plunged his sword into a fresh wound on Kristoff's thigh while Kristoff cried out in pain.

"No!" Elsa screamed. "No, please! Don't kill him!" she cried out hysterically.

"Elsa, no. . ." Kristoff struggled to get out. Hans brought the sword to his neck, cutting off his sentence.

Hans looked at Elsa with a sadistic grin. "Goodbye, Elsa. I truly hope that your lover makes it." He threw Kristoff to the icy floor and ran off into the blizzard, flaming hair soon gone from sight.

Elsa ran to Kristoff's immobile body, dropping to her knees and lifting his head gently into her lap. "Kristoff?" she spoke in a pained whisper.

Kristoff's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing the warm, brown eyes that had come to bring her so much comfort. "Hey. . ." he mumbled with a half-grin.

Elsa moved his hair back from his face and kissed him tenderly, pouring all of her hope and fervor into that single kiss. When she pulled away, Kristoff gave a small chuckle. "What did I do?"

"You didn't have to do anything. You're going to be fine, Kristoff," she told him through a teary smile.

Kristoff's blinked a few times. "Hans. . . you have to get him. . ." he weakly spoke.

Elsa fervently shook her head. "I can't leave you," she said as she brought her hands to his face.

The corner of Kristoff's mouth perked up a little. "I'm used to. . . being alone. You can stop. . . him. Don't be afraid. . ." he barely managed to say. He brought a shaky hand up to cradle Elsa's face, while she moved one of her own to place it on top of his.

She turned her head to give his hand a gentle kiss before looking back down at him. "I'll be back. You're going to be okay," she earnestly told him.

"I'll be waiting."

Elsa quickly made a pillow of snow and carefully laid his head on it before ripping a piece of fabric from the bottom of her dress and tying it around his wound. She winced and bit her lip, fighting back tears as blood started to seep through her makeshift bandage.

With a feather-light kiss on his forehead and a smile of reassurance, Elsa stood up and headed in the direction Hans had gone.

Kristoff stared after her retreating figure, slowly drifting off into unconsciousness. _"Don't be afraid. . ."_

* * *

**Ahh, what will happen?! ;) **

**Okay, so Elsa's veil and the ice holding Hans in place melted because, you guessed it, true love. Both familial and romantic love. The love erased the fear that she had, her fear of having Hans puppeteer her and her family around. Therefore, the items she had created tied to that fear melted when that fear disappeared. Her dress stayed because it was something she had created in a different setting , one of self-confidence and hope, completely separate from Hans' blackmailing.**

**Do you guys ship Jelsa and/or Helsa? I wasn't really into them before, but some fanfics totally changed my mind. o_o Now I'm just like, "I must find more", although I stay away from that NSFW stuff. **

**I'm going to be really busy this weekend, so the next update will be on Monday! I'm sorry! D:**


	38. Chapter 37

**Hello again! **

**Asteroth1: Oh my goodness, don't deprive yourself of sleep for this story! D: Your wait is over! :)**

**Apex Horizon: Haha, already planning their wedding? :)**

**taylorjago: Oh no, I do like them! :o Haha, thank you. :D NSFW (not safe for work) is content that has intense themes (sexual stuff, nudity, etc.) that are best accessed in the privacy of their home because it could get very awkward if someone catches you reading it. I'll be looking out for your awards! :)**

**stainedglass: Woo hoo, thanks. :)**

**emmamiapayne: Thank you! :D Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

*** Warning *: If you have an intense aversion to profanity, you might want to skip out on this chapter since Hans will be throwing around some "colorful vocabulary". **

* * *

Hans had no idea where he was going.

"Screw Arendelle, and its freaking winter in the middle of summer," he grumbled to himself.

Suddenly, a wall of ice appeared in front of Hans. It stood twice as tall as him and stretched about a mile long.

He hissed out a curse and formed a wide, scathing grin on his face before turning to face Elsa. "Well, you left your lover for me? I'm flattered."

With a flash of her hand, Elsa sent an icicle towards Hans, barely missing his shoulder and sticking itself into the wall behind him.

He gave a brusque laugh and strode forward. "Is the Snow Queen losing her touch?"

Elsa glared back at him in response. "Don't worry, the next one will hit its mark."

Hans moved closer until he was only a few feet away from her. "Are you going to kill me? Pierce my heart with an ice spike? Leave me trapped somewhere to slowly die?" he asked with a smirk.

Elsa regarded him with a wary glance. The stress had finally gotten to Hans, and he was falling apart at the seams. "Why? Why did you do this? What did my family ever do to you?" she quietly asked.

"Well of course you wouldn't understand, you had a perfect life," he snidely replied.

Elsa quickly slapped him across the face, fighting back the tears that had sprung to her eyes. "Don't you dare talk to me about perfect lives," she hissed back.

Hans raised a hand to where Elsa had struck him. "Ouch. Looks like the Queen suddenly grew a pair, hmm?"

"You're disgusting."

"And you're as pure as freshly fallen snow." With a wide, vicious grin, Hans moved his hand away from his face to gently grab Elsa by the chin. What he didn't expect though, was for her to manage to escape his grasp and freeze his hand.

Hans screamed, the noise high-pitched and grating, as he stared down at his hand in horror. "You bitch! Shit!"

Elsa watched him calmly, showing no emotion. "That's your final warning."

"Warning? I'm gonna lose this fucking hand because of you, you witch!"

Elsa's hands gave a small twitch at the insult, but she quickly composed herself. "I can thaw it, but only if you cooperate."

Hans looked up to see her sapphire-blue eyes patiently watching him. "You want to know?! Huh?!" he yelled.

He dropped his sword to the ground, much to Elsa's surprise. "Try living with twelve older brothers who don't give a single shit about you. Try living without a mother because, guess what? She died giving birth to you. The one person who would have cared for you, and you killed her! Try living with a father who ignores you, who talks to everyone else except you! Because he can't look at you; you remind him too much of her! You want to know why I did this?! For him! For my father! To get some sort of attention!" Here, Hans gave a chilling laugh. "I even poisoned the man, and he still doesn't know that it was me! How far does a man have to go to get some fucking recognition?!"

Elsa stared at him, eyes wide in shock. "Hans. . . I'm sorry."

He gave her a savage grin, eyes manic and bright. "I don't want your damn pity." He turned away from her.

Elsa took a tentative step forward and placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Hans, you didn't have to be like this. Things didn't have to go this way."

His shoulders started to shake, she thought from crying. She was about to come closer when Hans spun around and pushed her to the floor.

As Elsa struggled to get up despite the pounding in her head, Hans pushed her back down, pinning her to the icy ground.

He pulled a small knife out, too fast for Elsa to see where he had hidden it. He pressed it to her neck and gazed down at her in awe, but not like Kristoff once had. Where Kristoff's gazes were sweet and warm, Hans' were wild and full of longing. Elsa's hands shook and her breathing started to speed up to an erratic pace.

"Shh," he murmured. "You're right. I don't have to be. But it's too late, and isn't it more fun like this?" He chuckled, the sound low and throaty.

Elsa started to squirm, despite knowing that in one quick movement, it could all be over.

Hans leaned closer to her, until his face was only an inch away from hers. "Maybe if I bring your head back to Father, he'll notice me. 'You've slain the Snow Queen of Arendelle? I'm so proud of you, Hans.' And then he'll apologize for everything, and I'll be the favorite son," he breathed.

Elsa's discomfort only continued to grow as he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When his eyes flashed open, they were as clear and as bright as emeralds. "But then again, why kill something so agonizingly ravishing?"

He slowly leaned in closer, lips hovering just above hers when he was thrown back by a surge of energy.

Hans grunted as he slowly stood up and turned to face Elsa, wiping away a trail of blood that bled from the corner of his mouth. Elsa stood, palms up in a defensive stance, ready to attack if needed to.

He gave her a sly smile. "What? You don't want one of my kisses? Oh, I see, it's because of what I did to Kristoffer, isn't it?"

"Kristoff. Now, shut up," Elsa threatened in a low voice.

Hans gave an eerie laugh, one that edged on being a giggle, and looked at her with mirth in his eyes. "You won't do shit. You know why? Because you're too scared. If you weren't, you would have killed me by now."

"Shut up," Elsa repeated, more firmly this time.

"Or what? Hmm? You'll try and 'change me'?"

Elsa brought her hands up, freezing Hans' legs to the ground, encasing them in ice. The frost started to spread up his body, quickly covering most of his body.

Elsa walked up to him until she was only a foot away, regarding him with a solemn stare. "You'll never be able to hurt anyone ever again."

Hans grinned down at her. "Goodbye, fair snow maiden of Arendelle," he whispered before the ice covered his face.

He was now frozen in that state: standing stiffly, eyes maliciously watching Elsa.

She stepped closer and pressed a finger to his forehead. As soon as she did so, the form shattered into numerous shards of ice, clattering to the ground.

"Goodbye, Prince Hans," she whispered. With one last uneasy glance at the former prince, she turned back and ran over to where she had last seen Kristoff.

* * *

"Kristoff!"

He blearily opened his eyes to see her leaning over him, biting her lip in worry. "Hi. . ."

"Kristoff, you're bleeding a lot. I'm going to go get some people to help me move you."

"No, wait." Kristoff grabbed her hand before she could leave him again. "Wait, Elsa. . . don't leave."

She looked down at him, tears silently running down her face. "Kristoff, I'm not going to sit by and let you die."

"I'm not gonna die. Promise. . ."

Elsa reluctantly sat down next to him. Her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. She threw an arm up above her, throwing a burst of energy into the air that then exploded into hundreds of snowflakes around them. "Now they'll be able to find us."

Kristoff stared up at the snowflakes falling from the clear sky. Wait, clear sky?

"Elsa. . . blizzard?"

She gently smiled down at him, although he could faintly read the immense pride in her radiant eyes. "I stopped it. I did it, Kristoff."

"How?"

"Love. Love was the answer all along. That's why the veil melted, and how Hans was able to get away."

"Where's Hans?" Kristoff weakly asked in concern.

Elsa glanced away for a moment before looking back at him, uncertainty clouding her expression. "I'll tell you later."

"But-"

"Shh. You need to rest. Please. You've already lost so much blood," she worriedly whispered.

"Elsa."

She looked up to see his gleaming eyes staring at her. "Don't worry about me. Just don't. . . go."

Elsa took his clammy hands and held them safely in her own. "Never," she fervently replied.

Kristoff gave her a tiny smile and sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Elsa!"

Elsa looked away to see Anna running across the ice, slipping here and there, with some guards following close behind. She turned back to Kristoff. "They're here. Everything's going to be fine."

"Okay. I trust you, milady. . ."

"Kristoff?" Elsa asked in alarm. He had never addressed her as such before.

"Hmm?"

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. Have I ever told you that your eyes are like magic?" he slowly replied.

Elsa gave a soft giggle, one that warmed his heart, even in his half-delirious state. "You're not going to remember any of this, are you?"

"Remember what?"

Anna and the guards finally reached them. Kristoff closed his eyes and listened to Elsa's soothing voice explaining the situation to them as he drifted off to sleep.

_"Sleep now, my love."_

* * *

**And we never saw Hans again. Hope you guys are happy with this ending for him. :)**

**So, as much as it pains me to say it, we are nearing the end of this story. :( We have maybe 5 more chapters left. Would you guys like a sequel to this story? I'm not actually sure when i would start it, since I still have to deal with summer homework. The sequel would leave off with the end of this story, but have the evil version of Elsa as the new villain, searching to replace something she lost. Would you guys be interested in this?**

**Next chapter will be up on Thursday!**


	39. Chapter 38

**Hey there! I'm sorry, I know this update is way past the time I usually update, but I had a small hangout with some people, and I totally underestimated how long it would be. **

**taylorjago: Thank you, and I'm glad you want another one! :D You'll just have to wait and see how Kristoff is. :)**

**Prettyprincess45: Glad you liked it! :D You and me both; this was an amazing experience. :) Yay, another vote for the sequel!**

**Asteroth1: Thank you for the kind feedback. :D I feel ya, there needs to be more Kristelsa stuff. :(**

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**Belmont9: Thank you for your feedback! :D I'm actually mot really fond of crossovers. I don't know why, but I just never really get into them. There are some that interest me, but I don't think I would do a crossover.**

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**Guest: Haha, thank you! **

* * *

Kristoff opened his eyes to find himself in a strange bed. He was suddenly aware that someone was holding his hand.

He found Elsa on his left, sitting quietly in a chair beside the bed. "Hi," she murmured, with a comforting squeeze of his hand.

"Where am I?" Kristoff groggily asked.

"In the castle. You've been asleep for a couple of days. It's good to see you've lost that horrible pallor to your skin," she quietly spoke with a look of concern on her face.

"Are you okay?"

Elsa gave him a gentle, reassuring smile. "I'm fine. What about you? Do you feel any pain?"

"Not really." Kristoff began to sit up but soon lay back down, aware of the immense pain in his thigh. "Never mind."

"Here." In one quick flourish, Elsa had conjured up a rectangular-shaped slab of ice. She carefully placed it on top of his thigh.

Kristoff sighed in exhilaration at this instant cooling sensation. "Thank you."

"It was nothing."

He turned to look at her, his eyes staring intently into hers. "Your powers are beautiful. Like you." As soon as he spoke, Kristoff could feel heat overcome his face.

Elsa also blushed, the color only making her appear more beautiful in Kristoff's eyes. "Thank you," she shyly responded with a faint smile.

"Is everything okay?" Kristoff worriedly asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes."

Kristoff stared at her skeptically; even in his tired state, Kristoff could tell that something was wrong.

After a moment of silence, Elsa spoke up. "Did you know that while we were on the ice, you told me that my 'eyes are like magic'?" she lightly teased.

"I did?!" Kristoff exclaimed in embarrassment.

Elsa laughed, the sound as welcoming to Kristoff as a fresh breeze on a warm summer day. "I thought it was sweet; it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Kristoff groaned. "What else did I say?"

"You called me 'milady', and 'Your Majesty'."

"That's not that bad." Kristoff relaxed.

"No, but I like it when you call me by my name," she added, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Kristoff grinned back at her. "Elsa."

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for saving me."

"I ought to be thanking you. Ever since I first met you, everything has changed. If we had never met, I wouldn't have gathered the courage to embrace my powers, or have been reunited with my family. I never would have fallen in love with you."

Kristoff blinked in surprise. "You love me?"

Elsa looked even more alarmed by his response. "Well, I. . . yes. You told me you loved me out there, but I guess you don't . . . remember." She slowly let go of Kristoff's hand. "I. . . I should leave now."

"No, Elsa, wait!"

Her eyes flashed back to meet his, pleading silently with her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to react like that. I was just. . . worried that you didn't feel the same way, that it was just pity. I love you too." He gave her a hopeful smile, one full of love.

Elsa returned it with one of her own and gently moved to lay down next to Kristoff on the large guest bed, careful not to bump his leg.

Kristoff wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into him in response. "You're safe, no one will ever hurt you again," he murmured.

Elsa suddenly remembered her last encounter with Hans, and what she had said that sounded so similar to what Kristoff had just spoken.

Kristoff felt her back tense under his hand. "Elsa? What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her in concern.

Elsa warily looked up to meet his gaze. "I never told you what happened to Hans," she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"What happened?" Kristoff calmly asked, fighting off his intense curiosity in order to calm Elsa.

"I. . . I froze him. I turned him into an ice sculpture. And then I broke it; he shattered into so many little pieces."

There was no response from Kristoff. He continued to watch her, patiently waiting.

"I told him that I was doing it so that he would never be able to hurt anyone ever again, but I was lying to myself. I didn't want to acknowledge the feeling that I had. I was happy to freeze him, I had no regret in that moment. But after I saw him shattered on the floor, I was scared of myself, what I had become. I was a monster, just like the Duke of Weselton said."

Kristoff tilted her head up gently, as her gaze had started to drift away while recounting what had happened. "You are not a monster," he told her. "You are nothing like Hans, and you never will be."

"But-"

Kristoff quickly silenced her with a passionate kiss. Elsa's eyes remained wide open before finally giving in, kissing him back with every fibre of her being. She entwined her fingers into his golden hair, pulling him closer, while his hands moved to her waist, clinging to the fabric there. When Kristoff finally pulled away, he gazed breathlessly down at her.

He pressed his forehead against her own and waited for their breathing to return to normal. "You brought happiness to the people of Arendelle. You protected your people from Hans. You kept your family safe and went out into a storm to look for him. Does that sound like something a monster would do?"

"No. . ." Elsa breathlessly whispered.

"Do you see my point now?"

After a moment of hesitation, Elsa gave a small, tentative nod.

Kristoff gave her a half-grin, causing Elsa to give a light laugh.

"Thank you, Kristoff, for saving me."

"Looks like we're even now."

* * *

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you as much as I wanted to, Anna. But now that Kristoff's awake, and is making some progress, I feel more comfortable with leaving him alone.

"No problem, Elsa. It's good that you're spending time outside instead of working with documents by Kristoff's bedside. I did miss you, but we saw each other at mealtimes and sometimes before bed. What's a few more days when you've already waited six years?" Anna jokingly replied.

Elsa gave her sister a small smile in return. although she couldn't ignore the small sting she felt when remembering those lost six years. The two were strolling through the gardens, arm in arm in the morning sunlight.

"Do you want to go on a picnic later on in the day? It's nice out, and it'll be like old times," Elsa hopefully suggested.

Anna's radiant face fell. "Oh, um, I actually can't today."

Elsa's eyebrows raised in hurt and confusion, but she shook her head and tried to put on a happy expression for Anna. "It's fine. Maybe some other time?"

Anna bit her lip. "I don't actually know how much free time I'll have," she mumbled.

"Why? Anna, are you mad at me? I'm sorry, but I already told you-"

"Wait, what? No! I could never be mad at you, Elsa. Okay, maybe, but I'm not mad at you!" Anna pulled them to a halt and faced her sister. She took in a deep breath and started to speak. "OkayeversincewegotbackI'venoticedmoreandmore-"

"Wait, Anna, slow down," Elsa spoke up, relieved that her sister wasn't angry with her. She was also amused with the fact that Anna still had a tendency to string her words together when panicked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Okay. Elsa, I missed out on six years of my life. I never finished my learning. I have the education of a twelve year old. Do you know how frustrating that is? I was looking through your old books-"

"You were? Why?"

Anna flushed a bright shade of scarlet. "I was bored, and I wanted to see what you had done. But that's not the point! I saw all of those perfect marks. And oh my god, you studied calculus?! Why?! Why do you even need it?!"

"I like math," Elsa calmly replied, although a corner of her mouth lifted up in amusement.

"Psh, no one likes math. Anyways, when I saw that, I just felt so. . . stupid. And angry. If only stupid Hans had kept to himself, I could have been as smart as you by now. Okay, maybe not, but I wouldn't be struggling with geometry!" She swiped at the angry tears that had brimmed in her eyes during her rant.

Elsa pulled Anna into a hug. "I know. I know we've missed out on a lot. But Hans wasn't able to ruin this. We still have each other, and now we have all the time in the world to make up for what we lost."

Anna sniffed, and pulled away from Elsa, but took hold of her hands. "You're right," she spoke with a beaming smile.

Elsa grinned back. "For all it's worth, I wasn't great at geometry either. I love math, but geometry was almost impossible for me to understand."

Anna laughed at her sister's exasperation. "Will you help me if I get stuck on something?"

"Of course. Anything for you, Anna."

Anna gave Elsa a grateful grin. She suddenly blinked in remembrance. "Wait, Elsa. Who tutored you when you stayed in the castle all those years?"

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise and she quickly glanced away. "Oh, I. . . I taught myself."

"Shut up!"

"Anna!" Elsa quickly looked back to see her sister staring at her in astonishment and disbelief.

"You taught yourself?! How smart are you?!"

Elsa's face turned bright pink. "I guess I'm just a visual learner. It was all the books, I swear."

"You are so definitely helping me now."

Elsa laughed and linked her arm with Anna's again. The two continued to walk through the gardens, giggling and talking as if they were children again.

* * *

**I love interactions with Elsa and Anna. :)**

**Next update will be on Sunday!**


	40. Chapter 39

**Hi there! **

**taylorjago: Thank you for understanding. :D Woo hoo, thank you for the nomination!**

**Belmont9: Thanks! :D And thank you for understanding about the crossover stuff. :)**

**emmamiapayne: Thank you! It's that strong sisterly bond. ^ _ ^**

**Frozen Fan: Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!**

**psalty: Thank you, sweetie! :D I just started reading it, and while I'm never really a fan of crossovers, I really like this one. :o It's not overwhelming, despite all of the different characters interacting. Thank you for the recommendation. :)**

* * *

"Come on, Elsa!"

"Wait, Anna, you're going to make me spill them!"

Anna skipped through the dark hallways, one hand pulling Elsa's arm as Elsa struggled to hold onto two mugs of steaming hot chocolate.

They whispered and giggled until they reached their bedroom. On her first night back, Anna had been surprised and relieved to find that nothing had been changed in their room. The King and Queen had felt the same way about theirs.

Anna opened the door with a flourish and ran to the rug that lay in the center of the floor, now strewn with pillows and blankets. Elsa slowly walked in and handed one mug to Anna while cradling the other in her hands.

After taking a long drink from her mug, Anna sighed in contentment. She beamed at Elsa, unaware of the 'hot chocolate mustache' on her face.

Elsa snorted, a laugh escaping from her, and gripped her mug for support.

"What?! Elsa, what is it?!" Anna demanded in confusion.

"Your lip, y-you have a mustache!" Elsa spoke in between giggles.

Anna glanced down at her upper lip and swiped at it with the sleeve of her white nightgown, borrowed from Elsa. "Hey, at least I'm drinking my hot chocolate," she teased.

"I'll drink it. I just want to feel the warmth for a bit longer," Elsa replied with a sparkle in her eye.

The two sisters had been having these sleepovers for about a week now. It had become a tradition after the two started to see less and less of each other during the day, owing to Anna's lessons and Elsa's queenly duties. These late night catch-ups allowed for some bonding time, no matter how busy the two had been throughout the day. Olaf had even partaken in their sleepovers a few times, and Sven had spent one night before they decided that it would be best for him to continue to sleep in the stables. Kristoff was still stuck in bed in one of the many guest rooms, leaving his leg to heal. The doctor had told him that he was lucky no major arteries had been severed, or he could have bled to death. His leg had been stitched up, but it would be about a week before he could get out of bed.

"So. . . how's Kristoff?" Anna asked, one eyebrow raised.

Elsa rolled her eyes half-heartedly. "He's fine. He's getting more of his strength back."

"Speaking of getting their strength back, did you see Mama and Papa at dinner today? They were so happy to be eating kjøttkaker again."

"I know. I thought they would be happy, especially Papa."

"Wait, you told the cooks to make it?"

"Well, I. . . yes. I just wanted to make them feel more at home. And you too, Anna."

Anna took hold of Elsa's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Don't worry, you did."

Elsa smiled gratefully down at her sister. She cleared her throat and asked, "So, how were lessons today?"

Anna quickly drew back and arranged her expression into one of disgust. "Ew, nope, lessons don't exist in this room!"

"But, Anna-"

"Nope, you promised! You won't talk about my lessons and I won't talk about your queen stuff."

"Queen stuff?" Elsa bit her lip, trying to hide a grin.

"You know what I mean! Trade documents and stuff. Blegh. But now's not the time for that!" Anna placed her now empty mug onto the floor and flopped onto the pile of blankets and pillows. "Come on, Elsa!"

"I'm still drinking." Elsa took a sip from her mug, as if to prove her point.

"You drink so slowly! Hurry!" Anna rolled over, burying her head into a fluffy pillow in a bout of impatience.

Elsa shook her head with a grin and placed her drink on her nightstand before lying down next to Anna.

Anna suddenly sprang up and leaned her head on her hand, eyes trained on Elsa. "Olaf tells me it's true love."

Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"You and Kristoff. It's true love. Sven agrees with him, and I do too."

Elsa turned a light shade of pink. "I-l

Her sentence was cut off by a light-hearted laugh from Anna. "Don't worry, Elsa. I like the guy. He really loves you, and I know that you love him too."

Elsa's face only flushed even more, embarrassed that she was such an open book.

"Come on, Elsa! Say it!"

"Say what?" Elsa squeaked.

"That you love him!"

"Anna, I-"

"Say it!"

With a resigned sigh, Elsa complied. "I love him. There. I love him."

Anna squealed. "I knew it! Doesn't it feel good, saying it out loud? It's not healthy to keep all of those emotions bottled up inside, ya know."

Elsa gave her a hopeful smile. "You really like him?"

"Of course! I've never seen you as happy as you are now. Mama and Papa like him too."

"Really?"

"Yep. Why do you think they've gone to visit him those couple of times? They really like him, Papa even said so."

"He did?" Elsa scooted closer, eyes alight with joy.

"No."

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed in exasperation.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Don't kill me!" Anna raised her hands in front of her face to protect herself from the pillow that Elsa threw at her.

"They really approve of him?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Elsa. Don't worry; they love him so much, they can't wait for your wedding."

"Wait, wedding?"

"Yeah."

"We're not engaged."

"They know. I know. Everyone knows."

"Then why-"

"Elsa, everyone knows he's gonna ask you to marry him. Someday, he will. He loves you, and I don't think he'll be able to go on without you."

Elsa closed her eyes, dreaming of the blissful future ahead. When she re-opened them, she gave Anna a teary smile.

"Elsa, why are you crying?!" Anna worriedly asked.

"I'm just happy. I'm fine, I just. . . can't wait for what's to come," she whispered contentedly.

Anna gave a relieved laugh. "Yeah. It's gonna be great, isn't it? You and Kristoff married, Mama and Papa safe and healthy, and me. . ."

"Are you still waiting for your prince?" Elsa asked with a grin.

"I don't know. I don't think I'd care if he were a prince or not. It wouldn't matter, if I loved him."

Elsa stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"What?!"

"Nothing, it's just that you've. . . grown up so much."

"I'll still love you, Elsa. Even when you're married to Kristoff and I've got a guy of my own."

Elsa gave a small laugh. "I love you too, Anna."

"Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"I need more hot chocolate."

"Do you really need-"

"Yes!"

"Okay, okay, let's go!"

* * *

"Anna, that's your fifth cup."

"That's your fourth."

". . . Touché."

"Don't use your French on me!"

"Okay, okay." Elsa giggled at her sister's remark.

Anna got up and walked over to her nightstand, setting her now empty mug down. When she turned around to join Elsa on the floor, two objects hidden under the sheets on her bed caught her eye.

With a trembling hand, she picked them up and stared down at them, tears clouding her bright, teal eyes.

Elsa still sat on the floor, staring at the end of her braid as she absentmindedly played with it. "Anna, we should really go to sleep now. I have to go over some things with Papa, and you have your lessons."

No response.

"Anna?" Elsa glanced up, worried by her sister's silence. When she saw what Anna held, her hands dropped to her sides. "Oh. . ."

Anna gave her a crooked grin. "You. . . you kept them? I forgot all about them. . ."

Elsa got up and walked over to Anna's side, both of them staring down at the dolls that had been made in their likeness. "I couldn't let them go. As long as I had them, it was like I still had a part of you with me," Elsa explained in a whisper.

"And that's why you didn't change anything in this room, or Mama and Papa's," Anna spoke in wonder.

Elsa gave a small nod. She slowly took the red-haired doll from Anna and held it carefully in her hand. She smoothed its hair back, smiled down at it's joyful face. She looked up to see Anna watching her, the blonde doll held tightly in her hands.

"I missed you, Anna."

Anna gave a tiny, breathless laugh and wiped the tears from from her eyes with her sleeve. "I missed you too, Elsa." She leaned her head on Elsa's shoulder and held her doll closer to the other. "There. Now they're right where they belong. Together."

"Like us."

"Yeah."

"Anna?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Anna grinned. "I love ya too, sis."

* * *

**We are so close to the end of this story! Four more chapters left, although I may add in one more if I can't fit all of the content into those four. **

**Okay, regarding the sequel, it looks like you guys want it, so have it you shall! I will probably be putting it up near the end of August due to some summer homework that I still have to do, plus college visits and stuff.**

*** Question Time! * In the sequel, do you want Anna to have a love interest? I wasn't planning on giving her one, but after writing this chapter, I'd be interested in giving her one, if you guys agree. So, love interest for Anna in the sequel? **

**Next update will be on Tuesday!**


	41. Chapter 40

**Hi again!**

**emmamiapayne: Oh my god, thank you, sweetheart! :,D**

**Apex Horizon: Thanks, I think? :p**

**Asteroth1: It's fine, don't worry! :) Thank you! :D I plan on showing a few interactions between her and her parents, maybe the whole family? I appreciate the feedback!**

**paalty: Thank you! And yes, I am doing a sequel. :) Haha, thank you, he was definitely the most fun to write. :D**

* * *

_Three days later. . ._

"Queen Elsa! Princess Anna!"

Both smiled at the people as they walked by, Elsa giving a polite nod and Anna waving enthusiastically.

"I missed the town," Anna said.

"Yeah, me too," a strange voice spoke.

"Elsa? Are you okay?" Anna warily asked, shooting her sister a confused glance.

"It wasn't me!" Elsa exclaimed.

"Hi guys!"

Olaf waddled up to them from behind, twiggy hand waving as he gave them a big smile. "Isn't it a great day today?"

Elsa gave a light giggle. "Hello again, Olaf."

Anna stooped down to admire the snowman. "Elsa, why isn't he melting?"

"I don't know. Some of my creations don't melt, like my dress. It seems like I have the ability to control which items of mine melt."

"Speaking of your dress, are you always gonna wear that one?"

Elsa raised her eyebrows in confusion. "I don't always wear this dress, Anna. I wear a nightgown too." A bit of a defensive tone had crept into her voice: she liked this dress, and would't dream of parting with it for long.

"But you always wear that dress in the daytime. Don't get me wrong, I like it. But are you not 'creative enough' to make another one?" Anna teased.

Elsa gave her an amused smirk. "Really?" With a flourish of her hand, her usual dress had changed into one that resembled Anna's, except it was blue instead of green. "Is this 'creative enough' for you?"

"Well, you copied my dress, so. . ."

Elsa rolled her eyes and laughed. "Fine." Her dress turned into one of a lavender hue with long, flowing, off-the-shoulder sleeves and a skirt a bit fuller than the type she usually wore. "How about now?"

A smattering of applause to her right answered her. Elsa turned to see a group of townspeople clapping and staring at her in admiration.

Elsa flushed, gave them a sheepish smile of gratitude, and faced Anna and Olaf. Olaf stared at her with the same expression as the townspeople, while Anna stood next to him with a wide grin on her face.

"I knew you could do it," she told Elsa, voice full of pride for her sister's capabilities.

Elsa narrowed her eyes in accusation. "You knew they were watching."

Anna gave a small shrug. "Maybe, maybe not," she replied with a saucy grin.

Elsa shook her head and started to walk forward. "Come on, we still have some visits to pay."

* * *

Two hours later, Elsa, Anna and Olaf had visited all of the stores and shops in the town. They had even gone to see the former Mayor Elefsen, now Minister Elefsen, one of Elsa's advisors. He and Elsa had talked about his time as mayor, Elsa hanging onto every word in the hope that his wisdom would help her to keep Arendelle safe and prosperous. Anna and Olaf had sat close by, Olaf playing with his feet and Anna slowly drifting off to sleep. It was only when Anna had started snoring that Minister Elefsen had suggested with a hearty laugh that the three come and visit another time.

They had even gone to visit the lonely flower vendor, whose name they learned was Ølver Dahl. Olaf had taken to him immediately, asking him about all of the flowers. Anna told bad jokes the whole time, causing Ølver to double over in wheezing fits of laughter. When they had said goodbye to him, he had insisted that they take some flowers, as a thank you for the visit.

The sun was starting to set as the group approached the docks, eager to watch its descent into the sea. Olaf ran ahead, chasing a butterfly while Elsa and Anna followed with they small bouquets of flowers.

Anna inhaled deeply and placed the daisy behind her ear more securely in place. "I used to dislike sunsets. Not because they aren't pretty! It's just because it means it's the end of the day. Then nighttime comes, and bedtime. Unless the sky is awake."

"The sky's awake, so I'm awake," Elsa recited.

Anna gave her a look of surprise. "You still remember."

"Of course. I said it every time I saw the lights," Elsa murmured.

"Me too."

After a moment, Anna spoke up again. "I used to whisper it, like a spell, hoping that you would hear. It's stupid, I know."

"It's not stupid. I felt the same way. Sometimes, I thought I heard you whisper it back," Elsa quietly spoke.

"I did too."

Both sisters looked at each other in awe.

"We're crazy, aren't we?" Elsa asked with a grin.

"Definitely," Anna replied with one of her own.

They watched Olaf at the end of the docks, peering curiously into the water.

"When we came back, Olaf ran right to me, like he knew where I was. Like he was waiting for me," Anna whispered.

"Really?" Elsa curiously asked.

"Yeah. I don't know, it's like. . . he's a part of me. Do you get it?"

Elsa pensively stared out at the water. "I think that when I created Olaf, I put a bit of ourselves into him, my memories of us as children. So he's. . . connected to us."

Anna stood there quietly, ruminating over Elsa's thought. "I like that," she finally spoke.

"You do?"

"Another perfect example of how amazing you are. Your magic is beautiful, Elsa. All because of you."

"Thank you, Anna," Elsa replied with a smile.

"You're welcome."

The sound of a boat hitting the dock interrupted their conversation.

Elsa winced and shook her head, as if trying to shake off the discomfort.

"Elsa? What is it?" Anna asked in alarm.

"I-I'm fine. It's just that. . . I haven't been very fond of boats since the accident."

Anna turned Elsa so that the two were facing each other, and placed her hands firmly on her sister's shoulders, like their father would have done. "Elsa? Elsa, look at me."

Elsa tentatively raised her gaze to meet Anna's determined one.

"There's nothing to worry about, That was one time, one boat ride out of millions."

"But that one ride took you and Mama and Papa away for six years," Elsa spoke, almost inaudibly.

"One out of millions. You can't stay on land because of that. Don't let one thing keep you from living!"

Elsa's eyes sparked with anger. "That 'one thing' made life almost unbearable! I thought you all were dead! Hoe can you talk about it like it was nothing?!" Elsa indignantly asked.

Anna's eyes widened in shock, then hardened. "At least I'm not trying to hide from it like you are, Elsa."

Elsa blinked in surprise, mouth open as if ready with a response before she closed it and looked away, wringing her hands.

Anna removed her hands from Elsa's shoulders and took hold of her hands, handling them protectively. "I was scared too. But when we were escaping, I didn't have time to think about it. I was okay until we were out on the sea, with land so far away. I suddenly remembered the storm, and falling over the edge of the ship. I. . . sort of lost it. Mama and Papa were asleep, but Kristoff was there to help. He told me that we'd be okay: the sea was calm, and we weren't that far from Arendelle. He made up a game to pass the time. We'd guess how much longer it would take to get home, and whoever guessed closest to the actual time would be the winner. I don't remember who won, we sorta forgot about the game as soon as we made it back, but the point is, I overcame my fear with help. And now I'm here to help you."

_Did Kristoff really do that?_ Elsa looked back to see Anna staring at her with a loving smile on her face. She felt a corner of her mouth lift up until she was smiling back. "I appreciate it, Anna. Thank you. And I'm sorry for snapping at you, I just-"

"No need to apologize. I said some pretty mean stuff too. What matters is that we move forward, together."

"Are you going to be giving speeches and handing out random bits of knowledge all the time?" Elsa lightly teased.

Anna grinned back. "Only when I have to."

A giggle near them caught their attention. They looked down to see Olaf standing close by, hands clasped together. "Hi guys. I'm glad you're not yelling anymore."

"We're fine now, Olaf," Elsa spoke reassuringly.

"Phew, that's good. Because if you guys were still fighting and I had to pick sides, I would probably go crazy! Or, Elsa could have my head and Anna could have my torso and butt to split me up equally, since my head's so big."

The sisters laughed as Olaf rambled and each took hold of one of his hands. The three walked back to the castle, their laughter floating away in the summer air.

* * *

_The next day. . ._

"Elsa?"

Kristoff scanned the portrait room but found no sign that she had recently been there. With a sigh, he closed the door behind him and continued on down the hallway.

Elsa hadn't been able to visit him as much since he had woken up, due to meetings with advisors and attending to other royal duties. He had known that she would be busy as Queen, but hadn't realized how much time they would spend apart. They only saw each other at mealtimes, but even then, the royal family was also there. Not that he disliked them, he just wanted some time for the two of them.

That morning, the physician had come to check on Kristoff's leg. After getting permission to walk around (_"No_ _running!"_), Kristoff had decided to see if he and Elsa could have a few minutes of alone time. So far, no luck.

As soon as he rounded a corner, he almost ran into Kai. "Oh! I-I'm sorry!" he hastily apologized.

Kai chuckled and gave a bow. "Nothing to worry about, Sir Kristoff. Looking for the Queen?"

"Oh, um, yes." Kristoff couldn't help but feel extremely awkward when talking to anyone in the castle, especially the King and Queen, particularly because he didn't know how to address them now that Elsa was Queen. Aside from Elsa, Anna was the only one he felt comfortable talking to, probably because she did most of the talking. The two were always exchanging jokes, and Kristoff thought of her as the little sister he never had.

"Queen Elsa is in a meeting right now with her parents and the advisors discussing the matter of her parents' titles, now that she is Queen."

Kristoff was surprised that Kai was telling him all of this. It was something only the advisors and the royal family were supposed to know about. So. . . was he now seen as part of the family?

Kai cleared his throat, dragging Kristoff out of his reverie. He coughed and bowed awkwardly. "Thank you, Kai."

Kai gave him a kind smile and continued on, leaving Kristoff alone in the hallway.

"Looks like I'm going to go visit Sven again."

* * *

**Phew, long chapter. :)**

**Sequel: Should Anna have a love interest? (Feedback is happily welcomed.)**

**Next update will be on Thursday!**


	42. Chapter 41

**Hey there!**

**This is my second time typing this up, since my internet freaked out, and I didn't save this as a document. Yay. **

**WarThunder: Of course, Anna would never leave Elsa! :D Sounds interesting, but I don't think it would be received well in her time period. :\ Thanks for the feedback! **

**Asteroth1: Thank you! Those are my favorite scenes to write. :) It'll be revealed in this chapter. :D**

**psalty: Thank you! :D So it's like a collaborative project? :o **

**Belmost9: Thanks! :D For the sequel, I was really intrigued by the "Evil Elsa" persona that Disney had set up for Frozen before they completely changed the story. I want to incorporate her in the sequel, but as a sort of crazy/vengeful/evil/AU Elsa. Since she lives in an AU, she'll need some pretty powerful magic to cross over to our characters' world. Her goal is to try and redo her life in order to get something back that she once lost. **

* * *

Kristoff took in a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Kristoff gave Kai what he hoped was a confident nod.

"It's nothing to worry about, the simply want to talk to you."

"Okay. I'm ready."

The guards opened the large double doors that led to the throne room.

Kristoff walked in, flinching when he heard the doors click shut behind him.

Elsa's parents sat at the other side of the room, patiently waiting. Kristoff walked forward, his throat dry and heart thundering loudly in his chest.

When he reached the thrones, he gave them a deep bow. "I'm honored to be called here," he nervously spoke.

"The honor is ours, Kristoff," Elsa's mother spoke with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Queen. . .um, I mean. . ."

"Idun. Just Idun is fine."

"Thank you, Idun," Kristoff stammered out.

"And you may call me Agdar," he husband kindly spoke.

"Thank you, Agdar," Kristoff replied, a bit more at ease.

"We'd like to thank you for caring for our daughters, and ourselves," Agdar announced.

Kristoff blinked in surprise. "But I didn't do anything, all I did was help."

"And your help saved us. Our family is reunited. Elsa was finally able to accept her powers and to use them to her advantage. Anna overcame her fear of the sea."

"You knew about that?" Kristoff instantly realized what he had done, and turned a bright shade of scarlet. "I mean, I wasn't aware that you knew, sir."

Agdar surprised him by giving a short, bubbling laugh. "It's fine, son. And yes, I knew. I woke up on the boat when I heard you two talking. I didn't want to interrupt your moment. My wife and I are truly grateful." He took his wife's hand in his own and held onto it tightly, regarding her with a loving gaze.

Idun gave him an affectionate smile before turning back to Kristoff. "And so, Kristoff, since we have noticed your fondness for Elsa, we would like to offer a place for you here."

Kristoff felt his heart rise in glee. Allowed to stay here, with Elsa? It was more than he could have asked for! But still. . .

He gave Idun an appreciative nod before replying. "Thank you, but. . . I have to turn down your offer."

Both adults raised their eyebrows in surprise before exchanging a quick glance.

"Were we wrong to think that you cared for her?" Agdar warily asked.

"No sir, I do care about her. But no matter how much I love her, I can't take advantage of your kindness. I would feel dishonest, living in your castle only because of that. At the very least, please let me earn my keep."

"We didn't intend for you to have to work to live here," Agdar replied.

His wide placed a hand on his arm, silencing him. "Kristoff," she spoke, her harmonic voice lilting through the air. "I understand. Perhaps we may come to a compromise?"

"Of course; milady."

"If you insist on taking on some form of labor, then I believe we may have an occupation for you. How would you like to be Arendelle's Royal Caretaker of Domestic Animals? Particularly reindeer and horses."

"Excuse me, milady, is that. . . a real thing?" Kristoff asked, both confused and embarrassed.

"It is now." Although she silently watched him, he detected a playful sparkle in her gray-blue eyes.

"Are you sure that I can take this? I mean, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but how can you put your animals' healths in my hands? I barely know anything about reindeers, much less horses."

"I've seen how you treat Sven. The love you two share is the greatest I have ever seen between a man and an animal. You see him as your greatest companion. We would be blessed to have you sharing that love with some of Arendelle's best steeds and reindeer."

Kristoff stood there, mouth hanging slightly open. Had the Queen, or whatever she now was, just complimented him? _"Say something, you idiot!"_ he mentally yelled to himself.

He quickly shut his mouth and gave the couple a large grin. "I would be happy to accept the position."

"Good!" Agdar exclaimed. "You always were the peacekeeper, Idun," he softly told his wife.

She gave a gentle laugh before standing up, her husband following suit. The two descended the few steps in front of the thrones and stopped in front of Kristoff.

"We're happy to have you here, Kristoff. Welcome to our family," Agdar warmly told him.

Kristoff's face brightened at this, and he felt an immense gratitude towards these two strangers who had already made him feel at home. After crossing this threshold, he felt more comfortable around them.

"May I ask your permission for. . ."

* * *

Kristoff left the throne room to find Anna waiting for him. "So how'd it go?" she asked as they walked down the hall together.

"How'd what go?"

"Talking to my parents. Are you staying?"

"As Arendelle's Royal Caretaker of Domestic Animals. Particularly reindeer and horses."

Anna gave an appreciative whistle. "Mama came up with that?"

"How'd you know?"

"Mama's always been known for all of that wordy stuff. Plus, when I was little, it was a game we used to play. Elsa and I would give her a word like 'gardener' and she would turn it into 'Esteemed Arranger of Cultivated Flora'. So, you're part of the family now?"

Kristoff smiled. "Yeah. I've never had a a family before, but I'm glad to have you guys. I couldn't have asked for a better family."

Anna returned his smile with a brilliant one of her own. "I'm glad you're here too. Elsa's glad too, even if she doesn't see you as much as she wants to. It's all that Queen stuff."

"Thanks." Kristoff's shoulders slumped a little as a thought entered his mind. "I just still don't understand why she loves me. I'm just some guy, I don't know anything about royalty. . ."

Anna laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She loves you for who you are. Don't worry about trying to be some 'perfect guy', just be the guy that she fell in love with. She's the happiest I've ever seen her, all because of you."

Kristoff stared at her, amazed by Anna's hidden bits of wisdom. He gave her a thankful smile. "And because of you and your parents."

She gave a small shrug. "She loves all of us."

Kristoff knew what he had to do. "Thanks for the pep talk, Anna. I have to go do something right now."

Anna removed her hand from his shoulder and brought her hands together, clapping excitedly. "Ooh, are you gonna go get the ring?!"

"Wait, how-"

"Okay, so I might have been listening at the door. But that's not the point! You got their blessing! I knew they would give it to you, but I'm still so excited!" Anna bounced up and down as she spoke, causing Kristoff to laugh at her excitement.

"Yeah. Now I just need to get the ring and. . . ask her."

Anna was instantly all seriousness again. "She'll say yes, I know it."

"You think so?"

"Of course. Just don't overthink it Kristoff, you've got this."

Anna stopped at a door. Kristoff had been so caught up in their conversation and his own thoughts that he hadn't realized that they had reached the study.

"Thanks, Anna. Again."

"Anything for you, future brother-in-law." With a parting grin, she opened the door and stepped inside. "Oh!" She quickly ran back out, afraid that Kristoff had vanished in the few seconds since she had last seen him.

"One more thing: Elsa likes simple."

"Simple?"

"Yeah. Every year for her birthday, Elsa would ask for just plain chocolate cake. She's never wanted the big stuff, and to be honest, I think big public displays sorta scare her."

Kristoff nodded, remembering how anxious Elsa had been when she revealed her abilities to the town.

"Her ice dress is the most decorated thing I've ever seen her wear," Anna rambled on. "But yeah, just. . . keep it simple."

"Got it."

"Okay. Good luck!" With a waggle of her fingers, Anna disappeared back into the room.

* * *

"Papa, are you sure about this?"

"Of course, Elsa. You are Queen now. Your mother and I will take places on the council as advisors, to help you along the way."

"What will your titles be?"

"Advisors Agdar and Idun Christiansen of Arendelle. I'm sure your mother can come up with better titles," he joked.

Elsa shook her head with a smile, remembering the old childhood game. "Papa, thank you. I appreciate your's and Mama's aid and wisdom in helping me to care for Arendelle in the best way possible."

"We're happy to do so. Remember though, that it is important to keep your home life and the one you live as ruler balanced. I learned that from experience, in my early years," he murmured.

"Really?" Elsa was curious, she had never heard this story before.

Her father chuckled and sat down on a nearby couch, patting the space beside him for Elsa. She sat down, eyes burning with excitement.

"When you were born, your mother and I didn't know how to raise a child. We knew even less about raising a child with magnificent abilities. Both of us were constantly busy with caring for you, even with the help of the servants. Your mother, with her strong will, decided that she didn't need any outside help, she would do as much of it on her own as she could." He shook his head, remembering the sleepless nights.

"A famine had just broken out in a kingdom north of us, Bostrak. I spent so much time trying to help them, staying up late into the night writing letters to other kingdoms asking for their aid, trying to find the most efficient trade routes. I was completely unaware of how much your mother needed me. I believed her when she said that she didn't need any help. She had worried herself so much over you, and needed someone else there to help and comfort her. Kai came to me during a meeting with my advisors, telling me that Idun had fainted from exhaustion. She had refused to eat, refused to sleep, always trying to take care of you, our precious child. The advisors handled the famine, graciously giving me time to take care of my wife and newborn daughter. And then, three years later when Anna came, I was careful not to make the same mistake again."

Els gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "It's alright, Papa. We're all fine now."

Agdar smiled at her, never ceasing to be amazed by how she had grown into a beautiful young woman. He was glad that she had found love in the form of Kristoff, someone who was able to support and lift her spirits like he and Idun did for each other.

He suddenly glanced down at Elsa's hand, surprised to find that no ring rested on her finger. Had Kristoff changed his mind? _"No,"_ he mentally admonished himself. It had only been two days since Kristoff had asked for his and Idun's permission to marry her. He didn't doubt the love that the two shared.

"Papa, are you alright?" Elsa asked, voice full of concern.

He looked up to see her bright azure eyes staring intently into his, worry etched onto her face. "I'm fine, Elsa." He stood up and offered her his arm. As the two walked out of the study, he asked, "Have you seen Kristoff?"

"No, Papa, not since breakfast. We haven't had much time to talk lately. Why do you ask?" she innocently replied.

"Oh, no reason in particular."

* * *

**I have no idea how things work if a King and Queen return after being thought dead and their daughter has taken their place. So, I just made them advisors, because regent didn't seem like the right title, and I didn't want to leave them title-less. Oh, and since Elsa and Anna's last name was never revealed, I just looked up Norwegian last names and picked Christiansen. :)**

**Next update will be on Sunday!**


	43. Chapter 42

**Hello again! **

**S1L3NT420STRYDER: I'm not the biggest fan of nachos. Or cheese, in general. D: **

**psalty: Thanks for the feedback, lovely! :D And sure, I'd love to check your story out! I've never heard of them, but I'll look it up. :)**

**Belmont9: Thanks! I'm glad you like the idea, I was having some second thoughts about it. :p**

**Frozen guard: Sounds interesting, I'll think about it. :D**

* * *

"What shall we do about the war in Grønnedal, Your Majesty?"

Elsa sat at the head of the table, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "Are the sons of the Southern Isles still trying to garner support?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Then we shall send aid. I will write a letter to Prince Frederik. We shall send our fleet of ships, along with some food and weapons. I fear that our small army would be of little help." The advisors nodded in agreement.

"Queen Elsa, has there been any response from King Erik regarding the letter you sent him of his son's death?" Minister Elefsen humbly spoke up.

Elsa's breath caught in her throat at the mention of Hans. Even though it had been a month since the incident, any mention of him still brought back memories of that fatal day: his sword going into Kristoff's leg, fear that Kristoff would bleed out, Hans' cold eyes staring into hers as he pinned her to the ground. She cleared her throat before responding. "Yes, he apologized for his son's actions, and pledged the service of his family to Arendelle, should we ever be in need of aid," she managed to get out between shaky breaths.

Another advisor, Minister Folstad, spoke up. "My Queen, how do we know that we can trust him? I mean no disrespect, but if his son was capable of such horrors, shouldn't we be wary of him also? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And what about his other sons?"

Elsa nodded in acknowledgement. "I had the same thoughts. However, the King is on his deathbed; I don't believe that he has enough energy to plan a siege against Arendelle. My father, Minister Christiansen, has told me that while he was imprisoned, there was no sign that the king was aware of the late Prince Hans' actions. Prince Hans himself told me himself that he and his father didn't have the best of relationships. As for the princes of the Southern Isles, they have proven their selflessness and bravery in going to the young king of Grønnedal's aid. I believe that we can put our faith in them."

"I trust your judgement, Your Majesty," Minister Folstad replied.

"Does this mean that Arendelle will continue to trade with the Southern Isles?" Minister Larsen asked.

"Yes. I see no need to cut off trade. The Southern Isles has been consistent and fair in their policies. I will not blame the kingdom as a whole for the actions of one man."

"What about the Duke of Weselton's requests to open up trade again?" her father asked.

Elsa steadily looked him in the eye. "His previous actions have shown that he cares little for the well-being of others, and that if given the chance, he would take advantage of Arendelle. I will be polite, but firm in declining."

Minister Christiansen gave a simple nod, but Elsa could have sworn that she detected a sparkle of pride in his eye at her decision.

"That is all for today then. This meeting is adjourned until next week."

The advisors got up from their seats and gave her a small bow before leaving the room, their conversations light after having dealt with such heavy material for hours.

Elsa stood up and let out a breath of relief. Her parents walked over to her, faces bright with pride. "You did well," her mother spoke with a smile.

Elsa gave her mother a beaming smile in return. "Thank you, Mama. I just wish that these meetings weren't so long and tedious."

"I thought so too, when I was younger," her father spoke. "Over time, it will be like second nature."

"I almost called you 'Papa' at one point." Elsa laughed at her small blunder. "I'm glad that I caught myself in time."

Agdar gave a hearty laugh of his own. "Well, now we can drop the formalities. It's almost time for supper." He offered Elsa one arm and Idun the other. "I'm famished," he loudly announced, not unlike what Anna would have done.

Elsa gave a small giggle, covering her mouth with her hand, while Idun smiled and shook her head good-naturedly at her husband's oddities.

They walked through the hallways, discussing plans for the upcoming summer festival that had been a tradition for decades. When they reached the dining room, they found Kai waiting outside.

"Your Majesty, Ministers," he welcomed them. "Princess Anna is already inside."

Idun gave a small sigh. "Some things never change."

Elsa grinned at her mother's comment before opening the doors. Anna sat at the large table, Olaf next to her. When she saw her family, she jumped up from her seat and ran over to them, braids flying wildly behind her.

"Mama, Papa! Elsa! Come on, I'm starving!"

Anna grabbed Elsa's hand and led her to their spots at the table while Agdar escorted his wife to theirs. The family was soon seated, Elsa sitting at the head with Anna and Olaf to her left while her parents sat on her right.

"Where is Kristoff?" Idun curiously asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him for a while, and he didn't tell me what he was going to do today. Anna, do you know where he is?" Elsa nervously asked.

"Probably in the barn, cleaning up. If he would just hurry up, yeesh, I'm so hungry!" Anna had her arms wrapped around her waist, trying to fight off the pains of hunger.

Elsa bit her lip in worry. "I suppose we should start; it's getting late, and the food will be cold soon. Kai, please tell them to bring in the food."

Agdar gave her a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine. Kristoff is a smart, responsible man. He'll be here soon."

Elsa could only give a small nod in response, feeling slightly better, but still a bit uneasy.

* * *

Kristoff ran through the hallway, running a hand through his messy hair. _"I'm late for supper; I hope they didn't wait for me."_

When he reached the dining room, the sounds of forks chiming against plates and laughter made their way to him. The door stood slightly ajar, and Kristoff hesitantly peeked in.

The royal family sat at the table, talking about various things. Olaf told them of his visit to the orphanage with Anna, waving his arms around wildly to convey the excitement of the children there. Anna spoke up a few times, eagerly adding some details that Olaf hadn't mentioned. Agdar and Idun listened to the tale with smiles on their faces, until Idun turned to her husband, murmuring something that made his laugh ring out above all of the other noises. Elsa listened to Olaf's story, one hand over her mouth as she laughed, her cheeks a rosy pink from the merriment. Kristoff felt a grin appear on his face as he took in the joyful tableau. He was about to walk in when he stopped himself.

_"I shouldn't interrupt them."_ He suddenly felt intimidated by life in the castle, more than he had before._ "I'm not like them, how am I going to learn how to live in a castle? How. . . how can I fit into their family?"_ With a grunt of frustration, he headed for the stairs.

On the way up, he bumped into one of the servants, a maid named Gerda. "Oh my, Sir Kristoff, I'm sorry," she quickly apologized.

"Don't worry, it was my fault," Kristoff hastily replied. The fact that the servants called him "Sir Kristoff" still made him feel a bit uneasy, like he wasn't fit for such a title.

"Are you feeling well? It's a bit early for bed, and the royal family is downstairs."

"I'm fine, I just need some rest."

Gerda took in his weary face, and nodded in response. "Of course." She dropped into a curtsy and continued on down the stairs.

When he reached his room, Kristoff fell backwards onto the bed, dragging his hands down his face in exhaustion. Anna's words kept running through his mind: _"Just be the guy that she fell in love with?"_

"Doesn't she deserve better?"

* * *

Kristoff ran the brush down the length of Sven's back methodically, lost in thought. Even Olaf noticed that something was off.

"Are you okay, Kristoff?" Olaf waddled closer, standing outside of Sven's stall.

"I'm fine."

Sven swung his head around to shoot Kristoff a disbelieving stare.

"Really, you guys. I'm fine."

"Is something wrong with you and Elsa? You didn't eat supper with us today." Olaf quietly spoke.

Kristoff stopped brushing, eyebrows drawn low over his eyes as he ruminated over this question. "No, it's just that. . . she's a Queen! I'm just the caretaker of her castle's animals."

A grunt from Sven interrupted him.

"Yes, that includes you, Sven," Kristoff snapped back.

An awkward silence hung in the air as Kristoff processed what he had just done. "Sven, I'm sorry. I just. . . I'm sorry." He dropped Sven's brush onto the ground and laid a hand on Sven's head.

Sven gave him an imploring look, coupled with a small grunt.

"I'm not mad at you, buddy. I'm just mad at myself, I guess."

"Kristoff, are you saying that you. . . don't want Elsa to be Queen?" Olaf broke in.

"What? No, I didn't mean that! I want her to be happy. Since being able to take care of her people makes her happy, I don't want her to give up her throne. I would never wish for that. I'm just scared, I guess. What if I embarrass her? I'm not like her. I wasn't raised in a castle, I don't know how to be regal and. . . and what about the future? What if we grow apart? We're just too different. . ."

"You make her happy."

Kristoff's gaze met Olaf's. "What?"

"You make her happy. She loves you. She doesn't care that you're not a prince. And I don't think she likes princes now, after Hans. She just wants you. She misses you." Olaf stated.

Kristoff's eyes softened as he took in Olaf's words. "I miss her too," he murmured.

"Then go see her!" Olaf exclaimed excitedly.

"Olaf, it's midnight; she's probably asleep."

"No she's not."

"What?"

"Before I came out here to see you guys, I ran into Elsa. she told me she was going to go walk in the gardens. At nighttime. You know, you guys don't sleep much, do you?"

"Olaf!" Kristoff exclaimed in frustration. He patted Sven's head as a goodbye before exiting the stall. He turned back to face them, a hopeful grin on his face. "Thanks, Olaf. I'll see you guys later." With that, he ran out of the stables, heading for the castle gardens.

_-snort-_

"Yeah, I want to go too." Olaf gave the reindeer a goofy grin before heading out the door. "Race you to the gardens!"

* * *

Elsa stared up at the sky, entranced by the colorful ribbons of light dancing across the sky. "The sky's awake, so I'm awake," she whispered.

The sound of footsteps behind her caught her attention. "They're beautiful, aren't they, Anna?" she said without turning around.

To her surprise, a low chuckle answered her. "I don't think I'm Anna. But you're right, they're beautiful."

Elsa spun around to see Kristoff standing there, still dressed in his clothes from the day. She suddenly felt self-conscious standing there in her nightgown, although this wasn't the first time that he had seen her like this. "Kristoff," she breathed, one hand over her heart in surprise.

"Hi. Sorry for scaring you," he sheepishly apologized.

She lowered her hand and walked closer, a grin spreading over her features. "It's fine. What brings you out here at midnight?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked you first," she saucily replied.

"Alright, fine. Olaf."

"Olaf?" Elsa fought back a giggle. "What did he do?"

"Nothing. He just told me you were out here. I thought I'd join you."

"I see. I'm glad for your company." Elsa reached for his hand, holding it in her own cool one. "Would you like to walk with me?"

"Of course."

The two walked in silence, both wondering what to say. When then silence seemed almost stifling, Elsa spoke up. "How has it been?" She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. _Nice going._ "Being Arendelle's Royal Caretaker of Domestic Animals?"

"It's been good. I'm learning a lot about reindeer and horses. I think Sven might be getting jealous of me spending some time with the horses, but I bribe him with carrots," Kristoff joked.

Elsa shook her head in mock horror. "Bribing a reindeer. I never would have thought of you to do that," she teased.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Kristoff jokingly replied.

Elsa realized what Kristoff had just said. _"He's right. We've spent so much time together, but we don't really know anything about each other."_

Kristoff sensed the shift in mood and awkwardly cleared his throat. "So, how've you been? I never see you anymore, since you've got all of your Queen stuff." _Great, now I sound like Anna._ "Not that I want to distract you from work and steal you away, we just never have a lot of time to ourselves now," he rambled on.

"I understand, Kristoff, don't worry. It's been fine. A lot of work, lots of documents and letter writing, but I enjoy it. I like having something to do that helps others."

Although Kristoff nodded in acknowledgement, Elsa could tell that something was bothering him. "Kristoff?" She brought both of them to a halt and placed her hands on the sides of his face. "What is it?"

Kristoff sighed. "I. . . I worry about what'll happen to us. I know it's selfish, but you're always busy, and we both have different things to do, and I just worry that we'll grow apart."

Elsa gave him a gentle smile. "It's not selfish. My father warned me about this. He told me to keep my personal life and my life as Queen balanced. Kristoff, I will always have time for you. Even though we don't know everything about each other, I want to learn. I know that we can make it through, together."

Hearing those words sent a warmth through Kristoff. "Together," he agreed.

"I love you, Kristoff. . . I never found out what your last name is," Elsa replied.

Kristoff gave a small laugh. "Bjorgman."

Elsa beamed, pleased to have discovered more about him. "I love you, Kristoff Bjorgman."

"I love you, Elsa. . ."

"Christiansen."

"Oh yeah, I can't believe that I forgot, especially with your parents being addressed as Ministers Christiansen, and. . ." Elsa's amused expression cut him off. "I love you too, Elsa Christiansen."

Elsa was about to speak when Kristoff reached up and removed her hands from his face, only to hold them in his own. "I can't say that I didn't have doubts about us. I was scared about fitting in here. But. . . now I know that this is where I belong. Where we belong."

Kristoff let go of her hands and got down on one knee before her, reaching into his pocket. Elsa brought her hands to her mouth, eyes wide in shock.

He held out a small, golden ring, decorated with a square diamond in the center and two smaller azure gems on either side. "Elsa, will you marry me?"

Elsa pulled Kristoff up by his shoulders and pressed her lips to his fervently, instantly flooded with euphoria.

As soon as she broke away, she looked up to see Kristoff staring down at her breathlessly, eyes open in surprise. "Does that mean yes?"

"Yes! Of course, yes," Elsa exclaimed.

Kristoff laughed and gently slid the ring onto her finger, both of them staring at it intently.

"It's beautiful," Elsa murmured.

"It looks better now that it's on your finger," Kristoff replied.

Elsa's gaze flashed up to meet his. "Anna helped you with this, didn't she?"

"A little."

A grin appeared on Elsa's face, and she threw her arms around Kristoff's neck, clinging to him. Kristoff wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his head on top of hers. The two stood there, eyes closed in content, locked in each other's arms, under the presence of the Northern lights.

Olaf and Sven watched from behind afar, having crept up on them silently. "Look, Sven!" Olaf whispered. "True love."

* * *

**Very long chapter today, hope you guys enjoyed it! **

**Just watched Meet the Robinsons. Definitely my favorite Disney movie. :D What are your guys' favorite Disney movie and/or Disney Princess movie? **

**The last chapter will be up on Wednesday! D: **


	44. Chapter 43

**So this is the end. **

**Grimlock King of Arendelle: I've never seen Planes, but it looks interesting. :D**

**taylorjago: Oh my god, thank you so much! I don't know what to say! :D**

**Asteroth1: I wanted to show that even though they don't know everything about each other, after having gone through so much stuff together and forming such a strong bond, they never want to be apart again. (As cheesy as that sounds.) :p And plus, they'll have some more time to get to know each other before the wedding. :D**

**psalty: Thanks! Have you ever read the Narnia books? :D I'll be keeping an eye out for it. :D**

**junebug15: Welcome! :D My friend is a total Mulan fan. :) And I totally agree with you, going to go fight for your dad and not knowing if you'll make it: only the strongest can go through that. I wish she got more recognition. :(**

**Enjoy the last chapter!**

* * *

"It's beautiful!" Anna squealed in delight. She stared down at Elsa's left hand, where she held it in her own, at the engagement ring.

"Kristoff listened to me," she victoriously announced to no one in particular.

Elsa laughed, pleased to find that her sister was enjoying herself. "Thank you for helping him, Anna. It's beautiful."

"Oh, psh. I didn't pick it out, I just told him to keep it simple. And he did! I mean, have you seen those engagement rings in the old family portraits?! It's like they're wearing rocks on their fingers, or something," Anna exclaimed.

Idun lifted Elsa's hand up, inspecting it closely. "It truly is beautiful. Congratulations, Elsa. Your father and I are happy for you two," she spoke with a smile.

Elsa gave her mother a hug, one that Idun returned whole-heartedly. The two stood there, reveling in the comfort of each other's arms. Anna suddenly wrapped her own around them, eliciting gasps of shock and then light giggles.

Agdar walked into the parlor, a brilliant grin on his face. "Has he done it?"

The women separated, and Elsa held her hand out to her father, displaying the ring with a bashful expression on her face. Agdar took hold of her hand and examined the ring briefly before meeting his daughter's gaze and embracing her. "My little daughter, already engaged," he whispered.

"Oh, Papa. I'll always be your 'Little Elsa'. Even when I'm married to Kristoff," she reassured him, pulling back to look him in the eye.

"Technically, yes," Anna broke in. "Since you're still keeping your last name, and Kristoff will be taking yours too due to all of that royal status stuff."

"It would have been nice to take his name. Elsa Bjorgman," Elsa murmured.

"Already planning on leaving your family?" Agdar asked with a hint of mischievousness hiding behind his features.

Elsa rolled her eyes in jest before replying. "Of course not, Papa. I'm never leaving you all. You're my family."

Agdar patted her hand. "And now we'll formally have one more addition."

At that moment, Kristoff walked into the parlor, having just heard from Kai that Elsa was expecting the whole family there. He was surprised to see all of them already there, eyes trained on him as he stopped where he was, unsure of the reception.

Agdar released Elsa's hand and walked forward to meet his future son-in-law, one hand outstretched. "Congratulations, son. We're happy to have you in our family. I hope that you'll be able to endure our strangeness," he lightly teased.

A corner of Kristoff's mouth worked its way up into a crooked smile. "I'm happy to be here, and I'm ready for whatever comes," he confidently replied as he shook Agdar's hand. Agdar gave him an approving smile before letting go.

The women came over to them, eyes bright with joy, although none were as luminous as Elsa's. Kristoff was caught off guard by her beauty; nothing had changed in her appearance, but it seemed that her happiness had enhanced her features, making her a sight to behold.

"When's the wedding?" Anna impatiently asked.

"Anna, we just got engaged. It'll still be some time," Elsa teased.

"Why do we have to wait?!"

Idun placed a hand on Anna's arm, instantly calming her rambunctious daughter. "Elsa's right. It's good to have a period of planning, you don't want to rush into things." Here, she gave Anna a pointed look, which only made Anna chortle.

"Okay, okay. What season will you guys have it in?"

Kristoff blinked in surprise. "Actually, we didn't really talk about that."

"What about summer? A year from now?" Elsa supplied. "By then, we'll have had enough time to have everything planned out, and the best flowers will be in bloom. The weather will be amazing."

"A year?! Are you trying to kill me with the suspense?" Anna cried out.

Anna's distress elicited a chuckle from Kristoff. "I'm fine with summer," he replied.

"How will you announce it to the town?" Idun blithely asked.

Both Kristoff and Elsa's eyebrows rose at the same time. "What do you mean, Mama?" Elsa warily asked.

"A royal wedding is always announced to the rest of the kingdom. Your father and I did ours in the springtime, a year before we were to be wed," Idun murmured in remembrance.

Agdar wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "I remember. It was a bit embarrassing, but I was glad to be able to introduce you to everyone as my future wife."

Idun blushed, the color bringing life to her naturally pale face. She gave her husband an affectionate peck on the cheek. "And now I can call you my husband."

Anna watched her parents' exchange with a goofy grin on her face, while Elsa moved closer to Kristoff and entwined her fingers with his. "Do we really have to announce it?" Kristoff whispered under his breath.

"I know, it does sound a bit ridiculous. But, duty calls." She gave him a wry smile. "We could always just elope," she whispered back.

Kristoff laughed softly, the sound warm and comforting to Elsa. "Anna would probably kill us."

"What'd you say?" Anna demanded, her arms crossed over her chest as she regarded the two with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing!" Kristoff quickly backtracked, while Elsa fought back a giggle. The fact that a girl who barely reached Kristoff's shoulder could frighten him so easily amused her.

"How about a ball? We can invite the dignitaries from the neighboring kingdoms, and whoever else you plan on inviting to the wedding," Idun patiently suggested.

Elsa and Kristoff exchanged a glance. Both were a bit uneasy with hosting a large ball just to announce their engagement. If they could have it their way, they would simply send out letters and notices instead.

Before they could, Kai entered the room, a sheet of paper in his hand. "Oh! Excuse me, Your Majesty. I'll return later."

"It's fine, Kai. What is it?" Elsa reassuringly replied.

"Hermann Lindvig, the baker, has some samples for the summer festival for you to test."

The summer festival. Of course. Elsa felt her lips form into a smile as she nodded. "I'll meet him downstairs soon. Thank you, Kai."

Kai gave her a nod, and headed for the door. Once he passed over the threshold, his head peeked back in, eyes shining with merriment. "Oh, and congratulations on your engagement, Your Majesty." His eyes flickered to her ring, and gave both her a Kristoff a celebratory grin.

Both Kristoff and Elsa immediately turned bright red, Elsa's right hand moving to cover her other one shyly. "Thank you, Kai," she shyly replied, touched by the fact that he had noticed.

"Thank you," Kristoff echoed, his fingers awkwardly fiddling with each other, as he was unused to praise.

With a final nod, Kai left.

"The summer festival," Elsa spoke. "That's when we will announce our engagement."

Idun was a bit taken aback, while Anna clapped her hands in glee. "Great! It's going to be _amaaaaazing_!" she sang out.

Elsa laughed, the sound bubbling out of her. Kristoff felt his lips turn up at the blithe sound.

"Mama, what do you think?" Anna asked.

Idun gazed at her eldest daughter with a thoughtful expression on her face. "If that's what she desires, then so be it," she gently replied, her eyes alight with love and hope for her daughter's future.

"Then it's settled! The summer festival!" Agdar exclaimed.

"Now that that's settled, I have to go try out some pastries." Elsa gave Anna a knowing glance. "Anna?"

"Count me in!" Anna bounded over to Elsa, entwining her arm in her sister's.

"Kristoff?"

Elsa held out a hand to Kristoff, expression hopeful, but understanding if he decided to opt out. Kristoff took her hand with a grin. "I'm always up for pastries."

Before Elsa could respond, Anna interrupted with a squeal. "Great! Now let's go, those pastries are calling my name!"

With a couple gasps and yelps of surprise, Elsa and Kristoff were pulled away by an energetic Anna downstairs.

* * *

"Look at the flower displays!"

"Mmm, Mr. Lindvig's eplekake is the best!"

"It's the snowman! Mama, look!"

The town square was filled with effervescent people, all reveling in the music, food and fun of the annual summer festival.

It had been Elsa's idea to put a twist on the usual tradition. With her magic, she had created a play area with hills of snow where snowflakes continued to fall throughout the day. Another area had been frozen over, acting as a place for ice-skating.

Anna and Elsa walked arm-in-arm throughout the square, talking to people here and there. They had even stopped by an area set up by Kristoff where the citizens could come and pet various horses and reindeer, including Sven. Olaf had spent most of the day in the snowy playground, making snowmen with children and letting them take him apart and then put him back together in a multitude of ways.

"You did a great job, Elsa," Anna spoke.

"You did too. I'm glad that you convinced Ølver to create some pieces with his flowers. They're beautiful," Elsa replied.

"It was nothing; once he got a few done, the guy was on fire. I can't believe he's never sold any of his floral arrangements before."

"He was trying to be humble. There's nothing wrong with that," Elsa lightly defended the old flower vendor.

"Still, he's like the flower whisperer or something."

Elsa fought back a laugh, clapping her hand over her mouth.

They came upon their mother and father near the winter wonderland. "You girls did an amazing job," Agdar said by way of a compliment.

"Thank you, Papa," both girls chimed with pride.

"Where's Kristoff? Isn't it almost time?" Idun asked.

"The last time that I saw him, he was still with the horses and reindeer. He'll be here soon," Elsa spoke with confidence.

"Smelling like a barn," Anna added.

Elsa gave her sister a small nudge, cerulean eyes wide as she stared at her sister, appalled. "Kristoff doesn't smell."

"Um, yeah, he does. It's okay, Elsa. We all know you're so in love with him that you totally ignore his weird barn smell," Anna teased.

Elsa rolled her eyes before giving her sister a smirk. "You want to talk about ignoring smells? Next time you try baking, make sure that you look out for the smell of smoke in the air. That usually means that your cookies are burnt."

"Elsa, that was one time!"

"One time with fyrstekake. Then three times with sjokoladekake. Then five times with berlinerkranser. Really, who makes Christmas cookies in the middle of summer?"

"Anyone who loves berlinerkranser," Anna countered with a smug look on her face.

"Anyone who's impatient."

Anna stuck her tongue out at Elsa, only eliciting a giggle from her sister.

"Are you ready?"

Elsa turned around to see Kristoff coming towards her, his nervousness almost tangible.

"I am. How about you?" Elsa separated herself from Anna and came closer, watching as his frantic eyes scanned the crowd of people around them.

"I, um. . . I think so."

"Kristoff." He glanced down to see her steadily looking up at him. "We'll be fine. I'll be doing the talking. After that, all we have to do is to thank everyone for their congratulations," she murmured in an attempt to comfort him.

"Okay. Thank everyone. . . wait, what?"

Before Elsa could reply, Agdar cleared his throat. "Are you two ready?"

"Yes. If we don't do this now, Kristoff will run off," Elsa joked, trying to put her fiancé at ease.

It worked. Kristoff gave her a knowing glance, and let out a long exhale. "Okay, let's do this." He offered Elsa his arm, and the two walked out into the snow-covered area.

All grew quiet as the townspeople watched the Queen and who everyone now knew to be her love interest stop in the middle of the pristine playground.

Elsa cleared her throat, and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I'd like to thank all of you for participating in our annual summer festival. I hope you've all found everything to your liking?" she asked with a hint of a smile in her voice.

A few cheers and a large smattering of applause answered her question. A few children jumped up and down, cheeks ruddy from playing in the cold.

Elsa felt a grin spread over her face, and turned to Kristoff. His beaming smile met hers, and she found the courage to continue on. "As you know, Sir Kristoff has become a very close companion of mine."

She heard a loud, exaggerated cough at this, over from where Anna stood with their parents. She fought the urge to roll her eyes before continuing.

"Though our friendship, we discovered that something deeper had been forged between us. I would like to announce the engagement of Sir Kristoff and I." Elsa bit her lip, unsure of what to expect. Gasps? Open-mouthed stares?

The townspeople applauded, faces bright and beaming at the wonderful news. Kristoff felt Elsa cling more tightly to his arm, not in fear but in delight.

"Thank you," she spoke, her voice clear and ringing through the air. "I'd like to see you all at our wedding celebration a year from now," she concluded with a smile of gratitude.

A couple exultations of joy were heard, and blithe whispers were exchanged.

"That's all for today. Again, thank you all for coming and partaking in our festivities. The festival will continue on until well after nightfall." Elsa concluded her speech, letting out a sigh of relief. The people applauded once more before separating, some returning to their play or searching for fun elsewhere.

"You did great," Kristoff told her.

"Thank you." She faced him with a smile, a strange look coming into her eyes. Too quickly for Kristoff to say anything, Elsa stood up on her toes and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

Kristoff stood there, surprised by the sudden public display of affection. He turned to see her bashfully looking up at him, not at all regretful of what she had done.

"I love you," he spoke with a grin before pressing his lips to hers.

A cough interrupted them, and the two suddenly broke apart, faces flushed. Kristoff ran a hand over the back of his head while Elsa cleared her throat, pretending that they hadn't been caught kissing in public.

Anna stood there with Sven, the first two in a long line of people coming to greet the couple and to give them their regards. Anna had her arms crossed in front of her, a smirk on her face while Sven raised an eyebrow, both obviously amused by the couple's discomfiture.

"Hey Sven, I think we should sneak up on them more," Anna told the reindeer.

Sven grunted in approval.

"Hi, Anna. Sven. We, um, didn't see you there. Or all of the people behind you," Elsa stammered out.

"Yeah, we sort of guessed that," Anna replied with a giggle.

"How long have you guys been there?" Kristoff asked in a strained voice.

"Oh, only since you told Elsa that you loved her. Which was really cute, by the way," Anna gushed.

"Anna," Elsa spoke in exasperation.

"Don't worry, Elsa. Sven and I won't be creeping around a lot. Maybe me and Olaf, maybe Olaf and Sven," Anna joked.

Elsa brought her hand to her head, shaking her hand in disbelief. "I swear, Anna, someday this will all come back to you," she said, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Haha, you're funny, Elsa. I have to get a guy first." Anna replied.

"You never know. No one here has caught your eye?" Elsa teased.

"Nope. Not yet. Don't worry, I'm still looking."

"Great, girl talk," Kristoff spoke, half in jest.

"Get used to it, Kristoff! Living in a house full of three girls, you'll be surrounded by girl talk."

"Is it too late to back out now? Ow!" Kristoff cried out as Elsa smacked him on the chest. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he backed up.

Elsa shook her head, fighting back a smile before looking back at Anna and Sven. "Thank you for. . . spying on us, I guess. There's a long line behind you, I'll see you two later."

"Okay, bye Elsa! Bye Kristoff! Come on, Sven! I think those kids still want a ride from you."

Anna and Sven walked off, Anna talking animatedly to the reindeer while he responded with a series of grunts and looks.

Kristoff chuckled, amazed by the bond between the two. "I never would have thought of Anna as a reindeer person."

"She isn't. She prefers horses more. But, she really likes Sven. However, she doesn't like your 'weird barn smell', as she calls it."

"My what?"

The next group of people came up to them, ecstatic about their engagement and bestowing blessings upon them, cutting off any response that Elsa could have come up with.

* * *

As the moonlight shone over the town, the remaining people headed for their homes, worn out after all the merriment of the day. Soon, only the royal family remained in the town square.

Idun plucked a flower from a garland near her, breathing in its delicate scent. "It's a shame that all of these flowers will be cleaned up tomorrow morning," she murmured.

"Don't worry, Mama. People will come and pick some before it's time to get rid of them," Anna firmly replied. She picked a few of her own before placing them in her mother's hair, creating an elegant flower crown. Idun gave her a smile of thanks, and took her daughter's hand in her own.

Agdar yawned, the sound long and drawn out. "I think it's time for us all to go to bed now," he suggested.

Idun nodded in agreement, noting Anna's drooping shoulders as she fought to stay awake. "Elsa, Kristoff? Will you be heading for bed soon?"

"Not yet, Mama. We'll be there soon," Elsa interjected as Kristoff opened his mouth to speak. When he shot her a questioning glance, she simply answered him with a half-smile.

"Alright, then. Don't stay out too late," Idun replied. She headed for the castle, supporting Anna with one arm while her husband held Anna up on her other side.

Elsa watched her family walk back home, a wave of serenity washing over her.

"More snow fort building?" Olaf eagerly asked.

"I was thinking more along the lines of ice-skating," Elsa answered cheerfully.

"Ice-skating?" Kristoff was confused by Elsa's sudden whim.

"Now that we have some time to ourselves, we might as well enjoy the ice, since we barely got to touch it all day."

Olaf took the hint, immediately running over to Sven's drowsy form. "Sven's tired, I'll go with him to the barn! See you guys!" With a giggle he ran ahead, motioning for Sven to follow him.

After those two had gone, Kristoff cleared his throat. "So, ice-skating?"

"Let's go!"

The makeshift rink was actually a part of the square that had been frozen over, the floor now covered with a smooth layer of ice.

Elsa sent a bit of her magic towards Kristoff's feet, creating blades of ice for him to skate on.

"You don't need ice skates?" Kristoff asked in wonder.

"My heels work just as well as skates for me."

Kristoff seriously doubted that, but didn't say anything until the two were on the ice. When it became apparent that Elsa was doing a far better job at staying upright while skating than him, he let out a low whistle. "You think I can get myself some of those shoes?" he jokingly asked.

Elsa gave him a teasing smirk. "Do you really want to wear these?"

"No, no, no, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I would be happy to make some for you." Elsa glided over to where he was, adding a few spins here and there.

"Okay, now you're just showing off."

"Maybe." Elsa was now face-to-face with him, their breaths mingling.

"Maybe Anna was right," Kristoff whispered.

"Right about what?" Elsa responded in a whisper of her own.

"A year might be too long for me to wait."

Elsa wrapped her arms around his neck, prompting him to entwine his around her waist. "My, someone's quite impatient, Mr. Bjorgman."

"I just want to be able to say that we belong to each other."

"We already do."

Elsa leaned in, prompting Kristoff to close his eyes, expecting her lips to meet his. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes in a state of perplexity.

She removed her arms from where they had been resting and broke free of his hold, skating backwards with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Wait, what-"

"If you want me, you'll have to catch me." Elsa started to lazily skate backwards, taunting Kristoff.

Kristoff gave her an amused look. "It's on."

He started to skate towards her, but soon started to flail around, trying to balance himself. He stared down at his feet, as if willing them to work correctly before looking back up at Elsa. She had one hand over her mouth, face turned scarlet from trying to keep in her laughter.

"Oh, so you think this is funny?"

"Of course."

"We'll see who's laughing when I get you."

"_When_ being the key word."

"Shh, I can do this."

Kristoff took in a deep breath and started forward again, and slowly made his way to Elsa. When he reached her, she held onto his arms, helping him stay up. "You got me." She placed a feather-light kiss on his nose.

"Okay, now that was definitely a pity kiss."

Elsa laughed in response, the sound pealing through the night air before she cut herself off, remembering that everyone was now asleep. "Okay then, if you let me teach you how to skate, then I'll give you a 'real kiss'. But you have to listen to me."

"No, I can still do this on my own. Just give me a minute and then I'll be skating again."

"I'm not really sure that qualified as skating."

Kristoff regarded her skeptically. "Hey, I thought I did well."

Elsa let go off his arms, eliciting a yelp of shock and bewilderment from him.

"Okay, okay, you were right, I need help," he cried out as he teetered forward, knees shaking and arms flailing about.

Elsa's hands grabbed hold of his and she started to skate backwards again, dragging Kristoff with her. "Come on, you can do it!"

As the two laughed and skated, both felt completely at ease. Nothing could worry them now, not with the prospects of such an incandescent future waiting for them.

The End

* * *

**You guys, I want to thank you all for visiting/reviewing/putting this story on your a favorite stories list (what?!)/ putting me on your favorite authors list (WHAT?!). You guys are all amazing. *gives you all a hug* **

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**Hopefully, you guys'll decide to stick around for the sequel. I will hopefully be putting it up on the 31st of this month. I'll be taking a hiatus from Fanfiction until then to catch up on my summer homework and get stuff ready for senior year. **

**See you on the 31st!**


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